I wanted you by my side
by Vyrian D
Summary: I wish I could see him one more time, even if it is only a dream. If I do, the first thing I will do is apologize and tell him how I feel. That way, at least my heart will feel lighter and I can die in peace." Pairing:ZackxCloud!
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any piece of FF7's characters!

**Summary: **Zack was dead, but Cloud did something to revive Zack. Story set after Crisis Core.

**WARNING!! THIS STORY CONTAINS YAOI, SHOUNEN-AI, BXB RELATIONSHIP, WHATEVER YOU CALL IT! IF YOU FEEL OFFENDED, PLEASE PUSH THE BACK BUTTON OF YOUR INTERNET BROWSER. IF YOU DO NOT MIND (hopefully) PLEASE CONTINUE TO READ! **

**Pairing:** CloudxZack (at first, Cloud one-sided, depends on how I wanted the story to go, they might become lover ;3), ZackxAerith, TifaxCloud (Tifa one-seided. Oh yeah, Tifa always had crush on Cloud)

**A/N: **I do not own a PSP so I do not play Crisis Core (I plan on buying it though), but from a lot of fictions I have read, I assume I have sufficient knowledge of the story. If you happen to find anything wrong, please be kind and inform me.

**This is an edited version. Many thanks to my wonderful betas for correcting the mistakes and improving it. **

* * *

**Story 0 : Prologue**

_Will that boy be okay?_

The rain that washed his bloody body had stopped. The sun shone through the thin cloud to his face. His consciousness was drifting between waking and sleeping. He heard a scream. He knew it was from the boy beside him, but his voice seemed so far.

_Sorry Cloud, you have to live for my sake. _

Then there was silence. He heard and saw nothing. Oh yeah, he had yet to open his eyes.

_When I open my eyes, will there be heaven?_

Slowly, he forced his heavy eyelids to open. A bright light filled his vision and pained his eyes. Zack Fair had just died…or so he thought. Zack rubbed his eyes slowly while trying to adjust his Mako eyes to the bright light. After rubbing several times, he looked around but found nothing. Everything he saw was white and light, oh, except a white wing in front of him.

"Awake yet, sleepy-head?" Angeal, his ex-mentor and friend, asked. His white wing was spread out lightly on his back.

Zack stared at the winged man in front of him blankly. If he was meeting Angeal, that meant he had died. "Angeal…. does that mean…this is heaven?"

Angeal shook his head slowly and smiled weakly. Zack stared at him. A bright smile was directed at his ex-mentor, "Does that mean I'm not dead?"

Another shake from Angeal, "No Zack, you are dead, but this is not heaven."

"Huh? I'm going to hell?!"

He knew he was bad when he was alive, but never thought he would go to hell after his death. A frown formed on Zack's face. He was sad. When he knew that he was going to die, he was afraid but he knew Angeal would be there with him. Angeal's presence alone could allow him die in peace, but he was going to hell. He could not be with his best friend.

"Zack," The older man covered his eyes with his big palm, "the contract has been completed. You should go back. He is waiting for you."

"Huh? Who…?"

But before the raven-haired SOLDIER got his answer, his body had been pushed down by Angeal. Again, he could only see darkness spread before him. He was falling to a bottomless end. Slowly, his consciously disappeared.

* * *

_Zack…_

"Huh? Who was that?"

_Zack…_

"Oh yeah, that was me…"

_Zack, wake up…_

"Who was calling me?"

_Zack, please, opens your eyes…_

"Is that you Cloud? Where are you…?"

_Zack…_

Slowly, vision returned to his eyes and there was no more bright light. He could see wooden ceiling spread in front of him and a small bulb light attached to it. The light was not bright enough to pain his eyes but enough for him to see in the dark. His Mako eyes scanned the room. There were two beds lying beside him, but there was no one on top of them. A small table was placed beside his bed, and a vase of dried flowers on top of it. The table was the only thing that separating his bed from the next bed. On his left, he could see the closed door and a sleeping boy.

"Zack…"

Hearing the mumble, Zack rolled his eyes to the yellow head beside him. Traces of tears could be seen on his cheek. Zack lifted his left hand. His body was weak but his remaining strength was enough to lift it. He placed his palm softly and carefully on top of the soft hair of the sleeping boy. He caressed the boy's hair slowly, trying not to wake him up.

"_Was it you who called me, spike?" _

He smiled at the boy. Cloud, the boy he met when he was still with the SOLDIER. Zack closed his eyes, trying to recall his memories, while still caressing the boy's hair.

There was Genesis, and then there was Angeal and Sephiroth. In his memories, he could see his fight with the silver haired hero who went insane. He was lost…then what? Oh yeah, Cloud came and stabbed Sephiroth. Then there was Hojo. The insane professor was smiling. It was sickening. Zack swore silently as he punched the man in his mind. He and Cloud had become his guinea piga. One of these days, he swore to kill the professor for what he had done. The last memory he could recall was Cloud and bullets shot into his body.

"I'm not dead…." Zack said as he lifted his right hand and traced his body where the bullets pierced through. There were none. _"Cloud must have had them taken out of my body."_

Zack shifted his eyes to the blonde again. He could hear the blonde call his name again. Zack smiled, _"Spike must have been so worried."_

"Cloud, wake up…" he called weakly. The raven haired man decided to wake the blonde up. Normally, he would let the teen sleep longer but seeing how worried he had been, it was better if he knew that Zack was okay. He was alive. He was breathing.

Feeling the touch on his head and hearing the familiar voice calling his name, Cloud opened his eyes. Memories flooded his brain. Cloud jumped from his seat and looked at the amethyst eyes that were staring at him. The friendly eyes he used to know. The eyes belonged to Zack, the man who sacrificed himself to keep him safe. Tears blocked his vision, but he allowed them to fall. A Smile was formed on his face as he threw his arms to Zack.

"Sorry to make you worry, spiky," The raven-haired man replied, but Cloud shook his head lightly. He didn't care; as long as Zack was alive, it was enough for him.

Cloud pushed his body from Zack, knowing that the man should be very tired. He wanted him to get better soon. "Please go back to sleep, you need rest." Zack did not reply as his body was already drifting into slumber. Cloud watched the man close his eyes to sleep. His chest rose and fell while he breathed. Tears fell from his eyes again.

"I'm sorry, Zack…"

* * *

Well, not much difference from the old one but I do think that the mistakes have been reduced and the wording is better. I will greatly grateful if you review!


	2. AVALANCHE

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any piece of FF7's characters!

**Summary: **Zack was dead, but Cloud did something to revive Zack. Story set after Crisis Core.

**WARNING!! THIS STORY CONTAINS YAOI, SHOUNEN-AI, BXB RELATIONSHIP, WHATEVER YOU CALL IT! IF YOU FEEL OFFENDED, PLEASE PUSH THE BACK BUTTON OF YOUR INTERNET BROWSER. IF YOU DO NOT MIND (hopefully) PLEASE CONTINUE TO READ! **

**Pairing:** CloudxZack (at first, Cloud one-sided, depends on how I wanted the story to go, they might become lover ;3), ZackxAerith, TifaxCloud (Tifa one-seided. Oh yeah, Tifa always had crush on Cloud)

**A/N: **I do not own a PSP so I do not play Crisis Core (I plan on buying it though), but from a lot of fictions I have read, I assume I have sufficient knowledge of the story. If you happen to find anything wrong, please be kind and inform me.

**This is an edited version. Many thanks to my wonderful betas for correcting the mistakes and improving it. **

* * *

**Story 1: AVALANCHE**

The morning air was refreshing. Zack had always loved it. The air of Shinra was polluted heavily, but he still loved morning. Today was an exceptionally happy day for him. His wound had healed fully thanks to Cloud who had cast heal from the green ball called 'Materia' every night. The blonde boy had learned how to cast spells using Materia from his days in Shinra, but Zack never thought that he could heal so nicely and he thanked him for that.

"Zack, let's eat. I've brought us some bread and fruit," the said blonde boy called. Zack stretched his body one last time before running slightly to the boy.

"Aw, spike, bread again? Didn't I tell you I wanted meat?"

Cloud shook his head slightly, "No Zack, I've told you yesterday, there's only a few Gils left for the two of us. We have to find jobs before you can eat some meats."

Zack nodded absentmindedly. He had been thinking while focusing on healing his body. Zack found it weird that he was still alive. When the bullets pierced his body, he could feel his death was drawing near. His conversation with Angeal in his dream felt so real. He could still remember what Angeal had told him.

"_No Zack, you are dead, but this is not heaven."_

Angeal said he was dead, yet there he was, sitting in a hotel and eating bread. Then there was another thing that bothered Zack. The last statement before Angeal pushed him down.

"_The contract has been completed. You should go back. He is waiting for you."_

What contract could he have been talking about? Everything was a mess. Zack rubbed the back of his head in habit. His bread was still hanging in his mouth.

"Zack…" The raven-haired man jumped slightly from the call. He rolled his eyes to the blonde in front of him. Zack tilted his head slightly. Cloud frowned and looked at him in disbelief. He sighed weakly, "I bet you didn't hear what I was saying, huh?"

The older man grabbed the bread in his mouth and grinned sheepishly, "Uh…sorry"

"I said, after eating, let's go find some jobs and earn some money for us."

"Oh…okay" Zack forced the rest of the tasteless bread into his mouth before he stood up and followed the blonde to the door and exited the Inn.

Midgar had always been busy and crowded. Zack had always lived on the upper level, but on some occasion he had went down to lower slums. He had never taken a liking to it. Lower slums were full of monsters and hoodlums. They were weak and acted arrogantly, but, no matter how weak, they could become problematic when attacking in groups and Zack hated that.

"Hm…. well, there's a bar in sector 5 that wanted to hire a waitress, the owner of an item shop wanted to hire a babysitter…." The blonde kept reading the job information put on the rotten piece of wood. In lower slum, everyone who wanted to find a job would come and read job information posted on it, though from what Zack had seen from the flyers, no one bothered about it. The wood had rotted and a weird smell came from it. Maybe some kind of new breed of mold or fungus had infested it because Zack had never smelled anything so bad before. The flyers posted on it were also in bad shape. Most of the words were illegible. The ink had faded because of either water or time.

"…Cloud…?" Zack nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard the sudden call from behind him. He turned around almost immediately and prepared his buster sword. The voice belonged to a girl with brown hair and eyes. The girl was the same girl who was hired to become the guide on their mission at Nibelheim. Zack could still remember clearly what the girl had said to him, _"I hate Shinra, I hate SOLDIER, and I hate you!" _Nothing about her seemed to have changed, except maybe her hair, which seemed longer, and the lack of her cowboy style dress.

Cloud walked past the older man to greet the girl, "Uh…. what are you doing here, Tifa?"

Tifa shifted her eyes from Cloud to Zack and then to Cloud again. Her eyes stared blankly at Zack for a few seconds before finally turning back to Cloud and smiling, "That's what I wanted to ask. What are you doing here?"

"Uh…searching for jobs…" The blonde said sheepishly.

Pulling the hand of the blonde, Tifa dragged her childhood friend slightly, "Perfect then, I have a job for you!" she turned to Zack, "And for you too…"

The bar called the Seventh Heaven was not as crowded as Zack had first thought. The bar was very empty. Over the counter, there was a little girl trying to clean the wooden chairs. There was a small bell on the door that rang idly when someone opened the door. The girl turned her head to the sound of the bell. The moment she saw the browned haired girl behind Zack, a big grin appeared on her delicate face. "Welcome back, Tifa!"

Tifa grinned widely and spread her arms to accept the upcoming hug from the little girl. "I'm back, Marlene. Where's Barret?" Marlene pointed her finger to the broken platform on the right. Tifa patted the girl's head softly before she stood up and signalled for the two men to follow her. Cloud gazed at Zack for a second. The raven-haired man shrugged his shoulder and nodded. Tifa was checking the broken platform. She tilted her head to the right and then to the left before finally smiling. "Well, hurry up! I'll introduce you guys to the leader of AVALANCHE."

Cloud nodded. He watched with rapt interest as Tifa kicked the right platform hard. With a cracked sound, the floor then began to crumble. Cloud could feel himself losing his balance and reached out to grab something before falling. His fingers flailed, grasping nothing, a moment before Zack seized the blonde's shoulder to halt his fall.

"Uh…sorry…" Zack watched amusedly as red began to creep up the blonde's pale skin up to his ears. Cloud was so easily embarrassed. Sometimes Zack found it interesting and even humorous seeing the shade of red creep up to his face to compliment his pale skin and hair color. Humorous, but it was quite a sight.

The ex-SOLDIER returned to himself when he felt the blonde shift and move from his hand. They had arrived in the basement of the bar. Zack silently followed the brunette while his eyes wandered around and scanned the room. There was nothing interesting. There was a broken TV, a sandbag and some chairs to sit on. The whole room was messy and definitely not spacious at all. He had hoped to find a bigger room when he heard the name AVALANCHE. AVALANCHE was an anti-Shinra group. They were quite famous, even when Zack was still a SOLDIER. Despite the popularity, Zack doubted Cloud knew about it.

"Tif, got new members?" A big man with dark brown skin stood up just as the platform landed. His head was quite small despite the size of his body, and his voice was husky. Zack could not say he liked the guy, but he had learned not to judge people from appearance. The man was, most probably, the leader.

"Hey there, Barret, let me introduce you to our newest members, Cloud and Zack," the brunette explained.

Zack nodded, "Zack Fair, nice to meet 'ya'."

"Cloud Strife," Cloud give him a quick introduction and then turned to face the girl, "Tifa, you know Zack?"

Zack let out a soft chuckle. He pulled the blonde and whispered in his ear, "Nibelheim, remember?" Cloud raised his eyebrow slightly. He nodded quickly before returning his gaze to the leader. Tifa looked at them dumbfounded, but decided not to let it bother her too much. The man that Tifa called Barret nodded quickly to the girl and walked to the nearest chair. He waved at the blonde and the ex-SOLDIER who stood not too far from him. The two quickly took the signal and took the nearest chairs and sat on them. Barret stared at Zack, giving him an investigating look before he nodded and moved his gaze to Cloud who sat beside the raven-haired man. Barret frowned a little at Cloud, but soon shook his head.

"Well, I take it that the two of you can fight, so welcome to AVALANCHE."

* * *

I don't know how Barret really spoke cause when I play FF7 (I was still a 12 years old who barely know any English word) and for me, in that game, Barret spoke an ALIEN language and because I care not (at that time), I skip all his talks. Anyway, I will try to write as similar as possible but I don't guarantee it. I know his personality but I don't know the slang he was using (or is it slang??)

R&R PLEASE!!


	3. Sephiroth

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any piece of FF7's characters!

**Summary: **Zack was dead, but Cloud did something to revive Zack. Story set after Crisis Core.

**WARNING!! THIS STORY CONTAINS YAOI, SHOUNEN-AI, BXB RELATIONSHIP, WHATEVER YOU CALL IT! IF YOU FEEL OFFENDED, PLEASE PUSH THE BACK BUTTON OF YOUR INTERNET BROWSER. IF YOU DO NOT MIND (hopefully) PLEASE CONTINUE TO READ! **

**Pairing:** CloudxZack (at first, Cloud one-sided, depends on how I wanted the story to go, they might become lover), ZackxAerith, TifaxCloud (Tifa one-sided. Oh yeah, Tifa always had crush on Cloud)

**A/N: **I do not own a PSP so I do not play Crisis Core (I plan on buying it though), but from a lot of fictions I have read, I assume I have sufficient knowledge of the story. If you happen to find anything wrong, please be kind and inform me.

**This is an edited version. Many thanks to my wonderful betas for correcting the mistakes and improving it.**

* * *

**Story 2: Sephiroth**

"_So, we will infiltrate the base from here," Tifa's hand moved from the top left of the map to the middle, "and when we've reached the building, go up to the top most and find the president."_

_Zack stared at her in awe, "wow…right to the big boss?"_

"_It's easier and faster that way. If we kill him, Shinra will crumble and, hopefully, within that period of time, we'll be able to blast all the reactors."_

"_Understood. We'll do it fast and clean, ain't that right, spike?" _

"_Easier said than done. The building is guarded by at least a hundred or so SOLDIERs."_

"_And…THAT is the challenge!" _

_-- _

"Zack, this is weird."

Ending his flashback, Zack nodded in agreement without looking at the source of the voice that he believed to be his blonde partner. It was so eerily silent, for there was no one, or, should he say, no presence of a _living_ human. He expected to see at least several dozen SOLDIERs walking around on patrol, but, as far as he could see, there was only blood. The stench was so strong to his Mako enhanced body that he thought his nose was going to fall off. Ignoring the smell, Zack proceeded to the next floor. Though he was relieved that the smell of blood was not as bad as the previous floor, he also hated the fact that the smell of Mako was all over the place. His memories of lab, which was apparently where they were now, and Mako were not really good.

Unlike previous levels that gave the image of 'brown', this level gave the impression of white and clean. The floor was made of white granite and the walls were painted a pristine white, giving the place a hollow, sterile look. Their footsteps echoed, the sound resounding through the vast barrenness of the halls. Trying not to blow up their infiltration, Zack walked as soundlessly as possible. The raven-haired man made a soft 'shhh' in effort to make the others follow him and walk as quietly as possible. Tifa nodded in reply. She looked at the leader of AVALANCHE, making sure he walked silently since the big man tended to be such a grumbler. The man nodded in acknowledgement and tried to walk like a thief, which sent Tifa's hand to her mouth to prevent her from bursting out in loud laughter. Cloud, in the other direction, silently followed behind Zack. Color had drained from his face and sweat fell lazily from his jaw.

Reaching a room that was most likely the center of the current floor, Zack froze. There was an assortment of Mako filled tubes connected to a plethora of cables laying in the room and a Mako-free tube lay ominously at the center. He quickly spotted a pink dress and brown hair as he explored deeper into the nauseating place. His azure eyes widened in shock as he recognized the pink-dressed figure that lay at the bottom of the tube. Without wasting even a second, he drew his buster sword and cut through the thick transparent glass tube. Removing the pieces of glass, he made his way to the girl. Cloud and Tifa followed in wonder.

"Aerith!!" The dark-haired man stepped inside the tube and pulled the brunette out through the shattered glass. He hissed lightly as he felt sharp edges slice into his arm, but couldn't have cared less. Aerith was far more important than any wound.Shaking the delicate looking girl, Zack called to her in attempt to awaken her. Cloud and Tifa watched from behind but made no sound while Barret was patrolling the place. More shaking from Zack and the girl moaned slightly. Zack sighed in relief as her eyes fluttered open, revealing a pair of tender and motherly, emerald eyes.

Emerald eyes met Zack's and she moved herself forward to hug the man. "Zack?! You're alive!!" Zack chuckled softly and let his strong arms wrap around the girl. He lifted up one of his hands and caressed the brunette gently before pushing her on the shoulder. "Aerith, why are you here?" Aerith leaned back and shook her head slowly. Leaving the ex-SOLDIER's arm, she moved herself to a standing position. She walked away from the tube, gracefully avoiding the shattered pieces of glass. With a swift movement, she threwher braided long hair back. Glancing to the new faces, she smiled benevolently. "Hello, I'm Aerith. It's so nice to meet you guys."

Barret shot her a quick glance and nodded. "Barret. 'M the big boss of AVALANCHE."

Tifa smiled lightly and waved her hand. "Tifa. Nice to meet you too, Aerith." After nodding in acknowledgement, she moved her gaze to the last one. Feeling the gaze, Cloud smiled sheepishly at her, eyes shot down in attempt to avoid her eyes. "I'm Cloud."

Zack watched their conversation in silence but a small grin could be seen on his face. It was pleasing to see his girlfriend was so friendly with his best friend. He had planned to let the two of them meet, but never thought they would meet so soon, and not under such wierd circumstances. Zack stood up from his crouched position to join the group. Upon reaching the place where the flower girl stood, his eyes took on an angry glare. Cloud bemusedly followed the older man's gaze and found that a man with a white lab coat was walking toward them. Barret prepared his weapon and aimed it at the newcomer. Zack walked forward to meet the white-coated man's stare.

"Well well, what do we got here? Fair…. Zack Fair, and…" his dark eyes moved to the youngest male, "…Cloud Strife."

"I am HONORED that YOU still remember US, professor Hojo," a hint of displeasure showed on Zack's face.

"Of course, we had a very good time," he stopped, eyes moving from the blonde to Aerith then to the pad in his hand. "5 years, if I'm not mistaken?" His lips curled in a mockery of a smile causing his aged face to contort grotesquely in the Mako's soft light.

Zack swallowed hard, hand moving back to reach his weapon. With a swift dash, he pulled out his buster sword and aimed at the man. The sharp edge of the sword almost touched Hojo's brittle neck when a long metal object blocked the attack. Silver strands swayed slightly behind the long katana. The silver haired man's glowing green eyes glared sharply and lips curved mockingly. Zack felt a thump in his chest. His eyes widened in shock while his body froze. "Seph…"

"It's been long, Zachary." A sly smirk adorned his handsome face. A slight move from him and Zack dropped his buster sword; azure eyes locked on green.

"You should have been dead. Why?"

"You should ask yourself that question, Zack. YOU should have been dead too, am I right?" his green eyes searched for the other spiky haired man. Cloud couldn't help but tense at the sentence. He walked several limp steps behind.

"What do you mean?" Narrowing his eyes in suspicion, he trailed away from the ex-general's gaze and found the blonde's terrified look.

Sephiroth chuckled, "You know what I mean, don't you Strife?

* * *

Heheh, it's very different from the previous unedited chapter (and I do think that this one is better). Please review!!


	4. When Fate Starts to Move

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any piece of FF7's characters!

**Summary: **Zack was dead, but Cloud did something to revive Zack. Story set after Crisis Core.

**WARNING!! THIS STORY CONTAINS YAOI, SHOUNEN-AI, BXB RELATIONSHIP, WHATEVER YOU CALL IT! IF YOU FEEL OFFENDED, PLEASE PUSH THE BACK BUTTON OF YOUR INTERNET BROWSER. IF YOU DO NOT MIND (hopefully) PLEASE CONTINUE TO READ! **

**Pairing:** CloudxZack (at first, Cloud one-sided, depends on how I wanted the story to go, they might become lover), ZackxAerith, TifaxCloud (Tifa one-sided. Oh yeah, Tifa always had crush on Cloud)

**A/N: **I do not own a PSP so I do not play Crisis Core (I plan on buying it though), but from a lot of fictions I have read, I assume I have sufficient knowledge of the story. If you happen to find anything wrong, please be kind and inform me.

**This is an edited version. Many thanks to my wonderful betas for correcting the mistakes and improving it.**

* * *

**Story 3: When Fate Starts to Move**

"You know what I mean, don't you Strife?"

One sentence from Sephiroth had made the whole room's eyes divert from the silver haired man to the blonde boy. Zack himself found his eyes were gazing curiously at the blonde.

"No I don't."

Cloud shifted uncomfortably under the gaze. Zack seemed to notice his uneasiness and despite his curiosity, Zack decided to help the blonde. "Why do you help Hojo?" Zack secretly smiled when everybody's eyes were directed at him and Sephiroth again. "Didn't you always despise him, so why?"

"Yes Zackary, I hate this man. So much that I would gladly let you kill him, but he has value. As long as he can fulfill what I wanted, I won't let you kill him."

"Then we will just have to kill you with him!" Gathering all her strength to feet, Tifa dashed toward the ex-general of Shinra. Flames of hatred danced violently in her brown orbs. The brunette would be more than happy to kill the man. Upon reaching her target, she felt a hand seizing her arm. Zack shook her head. She knew the ex-SOLDIER would stop her. She knew it was foolish to try to attack the former 'hero'. She knew she will be lying dead almost immediately if the raven haired man did not stop her but Tifa found it extremely difficult not stare hatefully at him.

Sephiroth sheathed his katana and pulled Hojo out of the room forcefully. "I will have my leave now but let me remind you", green eyes locked with blue, "NOTHING can kill mother." With that, Sephiroth and Hojo walked out of the room. Silence quickly replaced the fading sound of footsteps.

"Zack…"

Aerith's soft voice brought him back from whatever mess he was thinking. He was flummoxed. Sephiroth's words were played over and over again in his head and then there was Cloud's terrified look. The blonde was keeping a secret from him!

Zack sighed weakly, "Let's continue the mission." He walked to the elevator without glancing toward his confused friends. He was just as bewildered as they were, though he knew Cloud might know something.

"W'at the fuckin' hell was that all 'bout?"

"We're all upset, okay, just shut the hell up and move!" Zack had just become a jerk. He sighed tiredly. "Sorry guys, I'm just so confused." "No worries, we all feel the same, right Barret?" At this time, Zack felt very grateful that his girlfriend was here for him. Being mature, Aerith always understands.

"Hel' right!"

"Thanks guys. C'mon, let's go up!"

# # #

**President's room**

A small 'ting' marked their arrival to the highest floor. Zack lead the party out from the cramped room.

"Wow…" Aerith stared in awe.

The last floor only consisted of one large hall where there was a long table on the far end. Zack made his way toward the table. His footsteps were silenced by the thick red carpet that decorated the floor. Barret approached one of the big round pillars that supported the room. Those pillars were painted with the same gold color that painted the wall. His big and rough hand explored the pattern that was engraved in it. His eyes trailed upwards, following the pattern, until they fell upon the top of the pillar. His gazed continued to the ceiling and he found a few expensive looking lamps were hanging elegantly.

"Dead…"

That one word caught Cloud's attention instantly. He made his way toward Zack who froze behind the table, face pale. Cloud gasped at the scene. The president of Shinra had been murdered. He sat with his fat limbs twisted grotesquely at odd angles and his terrified eyes stared vacantly at nothing. Blood smearched his lips and chin, crimson running down his chest and some dropping pitifully on to the carpet. Cloud suddenly felt his stomach twist into knots, making him want to vomit.

"Zack, I don't feel very good…"

Zack nodded. The two of them walked back to where the other members were waiting. Their faces were filled with curiosity. "I suggest you don't if you are thinking of seeing it. It's…disgusting." The two girls nodded at once after looking at Cloud's pale face.

_Reunion…_

"Huh?"

"What is it Spike?"

_Jenova…cells…_

"That voice…"

"What voice?"

_Reunion…_

"What? Stop!!"

# # #

**Cloud's PoV**

"Stop!!"

I screamed when the buzzing sound deafened my ears. I covered them with my hand, pressing them hard but the buzzing sound won't stop. I feel tears already formed and threatening to fall. I kneel down painfully. My head feels like it is being split in two. I screamed again. Tears finally fell and wet my cheek. From far, far away, I heard a voice but it sounds like a broken radio. When the sound finally stops, I feel like my body is floating. From my half lidded eyes, I saw Zack's concern face. He was talking to me but I can't hear what he says. The last strand of tears falls to my hand before I welcome the darkness into my mind

* * *

Well, shorter than previous chapter. Hopefully I can write more. Review appreciated!


	5. My Feeling

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any piece of FF7's characters!

**Summary: **Zack was dead, but Cloud did something to revive Zack. Story set after Crisis Core.

**WARNING!! THIS STORY CONTAINS YAOI, SHOUNEN-AI, BXB RELATIONSHIP, WHATEVER YOU CALL IT! IF YOU FEEL OFFENDED, PLEASE PUSH THE BACK BUTTON OF YOUR INTERNET BROWSER. IF YOU DO NOT MIND (hopefully) PLEASE CONTINUE TO READ! **

**Pairing:** CloudxZack (at first, Cloud one-sided, depends on how I wanted the story to go, they might become lover), ZackxAerith, TifaxCloud (Tifa one-sided. Oh yeah, Tifa always had crush on Cloud)

**A/N: **I do not own a PSP so I do not play Crisis Core (I plan on buying it though), but from a lot of fictions I have read, I assume I have sufficient knowledge of the story. If you happen to find anything wrong, please be kind and inform me.

**This is an edited version. Many thanks to my wonderful betas for correcting the mistakes and improving it.**

* * *

**Story 4: My feeling**

**_Cloud PoV_**

"Stop!" I screamed to the pain. I screamed to block the noise, but it seemed pointless.

"Cloud!"

"The…noise…."

"Noise? What noise?"

"The contract…Jenova…"

"Jenova?"

'_Jenova', that is the last word I said, and the last word I heard before I fell into the comfort of darkness. _

* * *

"_I can grant your wish, but you must give something in return." _

"_I will do anything, please, don't let him die!"_

"_Then, will you give your life in return for his life?"_

"_What? My…life?" _

"_To revive the dead, you will have to make an equivalent trade. Do you accept the trade?"_

"_I…yes. Please, revive him!" _

"_I understand. Show me your hand. I will need your blood. This is the contract: you have given your life to me in order to revive him."_

"_Does that mean…you will take my life now?"_

"_No. I did not say that I will take your life. I said your 'life' belongs to me. You, Cloud, will be the one I will use to obliterate Jenova." _

"_Jenova?" _

"_Yes, a foolish daughter of mine. She has been corrupted. It is time for her to return to the lifestream." _

"_But, how do I do that?"_

"_Do not worry. For now, you may return. When the time comes, you will know what to do."_

I stand there, processing whatever things were stuffed into my brain. I am thinking, again and again, but everything passed so quickly that I can hardly understand. I stand in the middle of darkness, and then I fall slowly until I opened my eyes to see the reality in front of me.

"Cloud! You made me so worried, you chocobo-head!" Zack, he is the first human, the first thing, that I see when I opened my eyes. My life traded for his, just as his for mine. I do not regret it, but what happens if he knows someday? Will he be worried? Will he be angry? Or will he be careless? I hope it will be the last. My existence does not affect his life and I don't want to affect him. I don't want anybody to feel sad for me for I am not worth it.

"What happened? Does something hurt?"

"Huh?"

"You're crying!"

I touched my cheek and felt the wetness. I am crying. Why am I crying?

"Zack…"

He sat on the side of my bed. Bed? Oh yeah, I think I passed out. Zack must have brought me back to the hotel. Again, I'm just becoming a burden.

"What is it?" I glance at him. His back is facing me, but I can feel tenderness in his voice. I feel warmth swelling in my stomach. It is weird, but pleasant.

"What would you do if I died?"

"You won't die, at least not while I'm alive. I will protect you."

I feel the warmth again. Zack is the first to make me feel this. I wonder why. "Thanks, Zack, but I don't want you to sacrifice yourself again. It's…painful to be alone." Yes, it is hard to be alone. It is sad not to be able to see his smile.

"…Sorry."

"No need." Yes, it is painful without you. Please don't leave me, because I need you.

* * *

Review please!


	6. Announcement 1

This is just an announcement to inform all my reader, especially those who had kindly left reviews and add my stories into their story alert hugs and kisses for ya all

Since I have edited the whole chapter, I will continue with the story although it might take some time because starts from chapter 4 I began to have writer's block. BUT I will not abandon this story.

Many thanks to Darkmoon Fleur for the review! I always love it when my reader loves my story!

Many thanks to Strange and Intoxicating – rsa for the advice! I love your Tenacity!

Many thanks to poploli-misa and kirallie for the first two reviewers! I hope I won't let you down.

Many many thanks for Sora Keyblader for the review! Thanks to you I finally made up my mind to find beta for my stories. I always know that my grammar is not so nice but I'm too afraid to let others criticized it. I always want beta reader but…oh well, that is the story of the past. Now I have beta, thanks to your review hug

Many many, greatly many thanks to my dearest betas for always correcting my mistakes hugs and kisses for you two

Last, thanks for everybody who read this story or put it in their alert list. I love you all!

Oh, and, just a small note after chapter 5. As some of you might guess, chapter 5 is the result of my writer's block, a VERY short story but somehow I think it turns out okay. Think of it as a bonus story to complement the main story, but chapter 5 has a part of 'how' Cloud revived Zack. It is not entirely clear but it is an important chapter, so read it okay! And another thing, chapter 1 and 2 do not change much but chapter 3 to 5 are entirely different stories compared to not-edited version so I suggest you to read it again (from chapter 3). Sorry for the inconvenience!


	7. Sin

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any piece of FF7's characters!

**Summary: **Zack was dead, but Cloud did something to revive Zack. Story set after Crisis Core.

**WARNING!! THIS STORY CONTAINS YAOI, SHOUNEN-AI, BXB RELATIONSHIP, WHATEVER YOU CALL IT! IF YOU FEEL OFFENDED, PLEASE PUSH THE BACK BUTTON OF YOUR INTERNET BROWSER. IF YOU DO NOT MIND (hopefully) PLEASE CONTINUE TO READ! **

**Pairing:** CloudxZack (at first, Cloud one-sided, depends on how I wanted the story to go, they might become lover), ZackxAerith, TifaxCloud (Tifa one-sided. Oh yeah, Tifa always had crush on Cloud)

**A/N: **I do not own a PSP so I do not play Crisis Core (I plan on buying it though), but from a lot of fictions I have read, I assume I have sufficient knowledge of the story. If you happen to find anything wrong, please be kind and inform me.

I am very sorry for all reader for being so late! Sorry to **Dead Memories of Final Fantasy** for being unable to upload this within a week. I did finish the story in that week but I have to wait for my beta to check it, and thank you very much for reviewing although it's been long.

Many, many thanks to those who add this story to their favorite list and story alert recently. It really made me happy.

Last, thanks for those who will read this!

**Many thanks to my wonderful betas for correcting the mistakes and improving it.**

_#########################################################################################_

**Story 6: Sin**

**Tifa's PoV**

_It has been a week since we infiltrated Shin-Ra building, and it has been a week too since Cloud __passed out. He woke up five days ago and Zack insisted that Cloud is still weak and forced him to lie in bed. I can imagine Cloud's pouty and bored face. __It must be very cute. Oh yeah, Aerith and I had visited them on the day Cloud woke up. Guess what they were doing? Zack cooked and when we arrived, he was trying to feed or rather __force Cloud to eat the charcoal thing that he called __porridge. Cloud's face turned horribly pale then green, __then blue, and then purple when he ate the black porridge. At first, we only laughed at his amusing reaction but when Cloud looked like he was about to faint again, Aerith intercepted Zack's attempt to kill the younger boy. She scolded him and he__ laughed sheepishly. I took the porridge from the table. My intention was to throw it away, but…blame the curiosity, I ate it a little. Want to know what I was thinking after ate it? NEVER EVER let ZACK FAIR into the kitchen to cook! Not only had he destroyed the art of cooking – I mean, the taste – he had also destroyed the kitchen! The once white wall near the stove had become charcoal black. He must be trying to imitate those Chinese cooking series. You know, the chefs cooked with big fire. Anyway, enough of his bad cooking, Zack always looks so professional when it comes to completing mission. That day, when we escaped from that cursed company, he was the one to lead us out. He, on the bike slashed the soldiers that blocked our path. We, on the other hand, brought the fainted Cloud with us on a truck. It feels weird, to be protected by the once – SOLDIER that I hated so much. As much as I hated him that time, he still helped me…and __Cloud too.__I can still remember, while he slashed our pursuers, once in a while he would glance at Cloud. His __sharp Azure eyes softened. It was like he was gazing upon something precious. They are best friends; everyone here knows that but that eyes showed much more than a concern to a friend. Those eyes, made me feel uneasy. Cloud too, has those eyes, whenever he was looking at Zack__. They must have shared so many painful moments together._

"Tifa, are you daydreaming?" Marlene's tender voice brought me back from my thought. I decided to stop thinking. My heart is thumping hard. I wonder why?

"Marlene dear," I lifted the girl easily. "I am not daydreaming. This is called 'Thinking'." Marlene stared at me unconvinced but she smiled afterward. I put her down softly.

"Well…time to get back to work."

Morning light passed through the thin curtain that covered the only window in the small room. Zack hissed softly at the blinding light that pained his sensitive eyes. The chirping birds in the other side of the windows were noisier than ever, blame his superior hearing. Zack lazily walked from his bed to another bed in the room. His roommate was still sleeping. Zack put his left palm on the boy's forehead.

"No more fever," Zack sighed in relieved. For the past few days, he had been taking care of his sick friend and those days were…hectic. "No more fainting and getting sick you hear me?" With the last soft poke on the boy's cheek, Zack rose from the bed and walked toward the kitchen. "Hell that must be what my mom had gone through every time I came back home with bruises and a fever the next day." He whispered softly to himself.

"It's not my fault, if you want to blame something, blame my weak body_ or rather my weak mind_." Cloud added the last words in whisper to himself. He lifted his body slightly and sat on the edge of bed. Sweat glimmered on his forehead. His messy hair was disastrous and wet and not to mention, his body felt sticky. He shifted uncomfortably and fixed his messy hair.

"Heya, good morning! How are you feelin'?" Forgetting his intention to cook again, Zack walked toward the tired looking boy.

"Good morning. I'm okay so…"

"So…?"

"Can I take a bath? I feel like haven't bathed in a year!"

"Hm…let me think…"

"Zack…you have been forcing me to lie down in the bed for almost a week! And, not to mention, you didn't allow me to bathe!"

"Whoa…calm down chocobo head, you were having a fever and I'm not allowing you to get sicker than you already are."

"But…"

"No buts for you!" Cloud sighed disappointedly. He knew he wouldn't be able to win.

"I can have a 'but' though." Cloud raised his head and looked at Zack bemusedly. "Since your fever has gone down. I guess you can bathe now." Zack winked and walked to the door.

"Thanks. Um, where are you going?"

"You need food and so do I. I'll be back later."

* * *

_= Flashback = _

"_Jenova?"_

"_Yes, a foolish daughter of mine. She has been corrupted. It is time for her to return to the lifestream." _

"_But, how do I do that?" _

"_Do not worry. For now, you may return. When the time comes, you will know what to do."_

_= End of flashback =_

"I will know…when the time comes…" Cloud shook off those depressing thought and gathered all of his remaining strength to push his body up. Lying down and sleeping for a whole week had made his body stiff. He had finally managed to stand up, although his leg slightly trembled and occasionally threatened to collapse. Although slowand unstable, Cloud finally reached the bathroom. He stood in front of the mirror and looked at his own reflection. *threatened must be used due to past tense. Slow which is an adjective, instead of slowly which is an adverb.

"Such disaster…" he said disappointedly at his messy and slightly wet hair. Tracing the fall of his hair, Cloud's thumb found its way to his neck. "…burn mark? When did I get this?" Cloud brushed the mark softly but the expected pain did not come.

"Mark of my sin…"

With the final touch, Cloud looked away from the mirror. Although his arm was weak, it did not trouble him when taking off his clothes. He turned the knob and let the hot water droplets washed away his body. It was slightly hot but it felt nice to his muscles. Cloud didn't know how long he stood under the rain of hot water but he could estimate by the fog caused by it. He knew he had been in the shower for more than twenty minutes but he care less. He just wanted the water to wash him and his sin away. His sin for resurrecting the dead…

"Water…will never purify me from the sin I have done…" His blue orbs drowned in his pain and guilt. His hand unconsciously reached for the stiletto and began to slit his arm. Blood slowly dripped down from the wound to the floor. Water from the shower washed away the trace from his arm, making the water on the floor became a pool of red. It was painful of course but Cloud found it soothing.

…_Wash away the pain in my heart…

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_

_I was told by my beta that I should work on a longer chapter...maybe I should? I tend to drag on the story if the chapter become longer (like in my previous, uneditted chapters). What do you guys think? Should I try or leave it short?_

_Whatever the answer is, review please! I need it (heart)._


	8. Trial

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any piece of FF7's characters!

**Summary: **Zack was dead, but Cloud did something to revive Zack. Story set after Crisis Core.

**WARNING!! THIS STORY CONTAINS YAOI, SHOUNEN-AI, BXB RELATIONSHIP, WHATEVER YOU CALL IT! IF YOU FEEL OFFENDED, PLEASE PUSH THE BACK BUTTON OF YOUR INTERNET BROWSER. IF YOU DO NOT MIND (hopefully) PLEASE CONTINUE TO READ! **

**Pairing:** CloudxZack (at first, Cloud one-sided, depends on how I wanted the story to go, they might become lover), ZackxAerith, TifaxCloud (Tifa one-sided. Oh yeah, Tifa always had crush on Cloud)

**A/N: **I do not own a PSP so I do not play Crisis Core (I plan on buying it though), but from a lot of fictions I have read, I assume I have sufficient knowledge of the story. If you happen to find anything wrong, please be kind and inform me.

First, thanks a bunch for Dead Memories of Final Fantasy for your review. It always helps every time I have my writer's block. Although slow, I finally finished this chapter, all thanks to you. So, a big hug for you hehehe.

Also, thanks to spiralgal too! You write exactly what I thought when I first think of this story but nah, it turns out different. What Cloud felt right now is confusion. He did not regret sacrificing his life for Zack but in the same time, he regretted it for not being able to be with Zack (I refer to the title heheheh), betraying the life Zack has given him (this refers to the "revival" thingy) and trust (for sacrificing the life he got), lying to all of them, etc...and it made him depressed. Originally (I think) Cloud is not a character with strong heart. He easily broke when something very bad happened (although slowly he become better in the game). Anyway, the point is, he is confuse and weak. (Honestly, the 1st reason why I write an "emo" Cloudie is because I want to try it out...my selfishness bwhahahahah)

Last, hugs and kisses to my betas!

Okay, done with my stupid blabber... :p

* * *

**Story 7: Trial**

**Cloud's Pov**

The first night outside of Midgar was refreshing. I was stuck in the inn for too long so I was truly grateful when Tifa came and told us of our new job. This time we had to go to Fort Condor and protect some kind of endangered bird and fight some Shin-Ra goons (1). I did not think much about protecting a bird, but I knew how much Barret wanted to pick a fight with Shin-Ra. Besides I think it was kind of strange for Shin-Ra to have their attention on a bird. That meant the bird might be something special. Anyway, I did not care for those as long as we - me and Zack - were paid. We are mercenaries after all.

I put aside all thoughts of work and inhaled deeply. The scent of ocean breeze at night was good although it made me feel sticky. I looked around to find a way to go down. In this dark night, a normal human might have difficulties seeing, but not for me. Moonlight definitely helped, but my eyes had been enhanced thanks to Shin-Ra who drowned me in Mako for years. Not that I was grateful for it, but all my senses and reflexes had increased. I used to be a weakling and was bullied until I met Zack. He helped me most of the time (if he saw me) but I was still bullied nevertheless. At that time I couldn't do anything because I knew I was weak, but not anymore. Now I knew I was stronger than most of them.

I looked around the slope, hoping to find a way to go down. When I saw some dark rocks below, I smiled. It would be easy to jump and reach a spot and so I went on jumping from one rock to another. When I reached a larger rock in the middle, I was so sure I would land nicely on top of it, but I was wrong. I slipped. I almost fell, but before my back hit the hard rock, I threw my left arm behind to support my body. My elbow hit the hard surface. I would be lying if I said it did not hurt because I could feel tears threaten to fall from my eyes. Impact from the fall affected the wound that I put on myself before and now it throbbed painfully causing the water to fall. I winced slightly when I pushed myself to stand. The pain in my elbow had receded, but the wound was still throbbing. I wondered why I sliced my own arm back there. Nothing but pain did it cause. Maybe I was hoping for death to come to greet me, but maybe not. The pain was proof that I was alive, at least for now.

I shook my head and ignored the depressing thought. My eyes began to wander and search for spots I could jump to. This time I was very cautious not to slip down again. Because this was ocean area where the tides would rise and drop, some mold had grown on the rocks where the tide could reach, making them slippery. I jumped to a big rock on the edge and decided that this was a perfect spot to enjoy the wind and scenery. Mold had overtaken this rock too, but it did not matter to me. I sat on the edge and watched the moon stay still on the dark curtain. It was not as if the moon did not move. From here, it was moving very agonizingly slow for my eyes to stare at and my neck hurt too after staring up for so long.

I took off my boots when I saw the water was reachable from my position. We walked quite a distance and submerging my tender feet might help to release the soreness. I winced slightly when the icy water touched my bare skin, but smiled inwardly later after I got accustomed to it. After a while, my mind began to wander from the past where I was a cadet to when I met Zack, then to blurry memories of Zack's back when he protected me. The haze in my head began to clear after there were no more sounds of gun shots ringing in my ears. I slowly crept my way to Zack. I was so shocked when I saw blood gushing out from him endlessly. I shivered at the thought and immediately stopped remembering the detail. I did not want to think of Zack's death. I changed my thought to our current situation. Currently were camped near Kalm. We decided to camp outside because after we stole Aerith, Shin-Ra began to post wanted pictures of some of us. Kalm is located not far from Midgar and near the ocean. It was not particularly near, but our camp was located nearer to the ocean than the town. It was for safety purposes that we camped further from town. Just when I decided to go back to the camp, I saw a lone bird flying from the horizon. Since my eyesight was also enhanced by Mako, I did not find any difficulty in identifying the bird. It was an owl. It stopped on the rock beside my current seat. There was a transparent little bottle with silver liquid inside of it. The bird grabbed tightly at the bottle with its claws. I drew my hand closer to the bird. I stopped to find a reaction. When I saw none, I drew my hand closer to it. The moment my hand touched its fur, a blinding light flashed out of nowhere and when my eyes fluttered opened, everything was white.

"This will be your trial," said a familiar woman voice from my back. I immediately turned around. My jaw dropped when I saw the woman - Minerva - the goddess, the mother of ancients, the one I made my selfish wish to.

From above, the owl I saw descended down and dropped the bottle to her hand. After that it flew around and stopped beside the goddess. The goddess extended her hand and I could see clearly now what was inside the bottle. It was not liquid. It was more like a sparkling silver jelly with golden tints. I looked at the bottle then to the goddess.

"Take this," she said in majestic tone. "At every full moon, my owl will deliver the very same bottle. You have to drink each one without fail."

"May I ask...what is that?" I said in a nervous tone. I disliked the look of it. My instinct screamed inside my head and kept telling me not to touch the thing.

"It is poison."

I was stunned but recovered almost immediately. "And...Why do I have to drink it?"

The goddess did not give her answer immediately. Instead, she smiled sadly. "Do you know that inside of your body lies a pure Jenova cell?" (2)

"...what?" I replied, perplexed.

"Currently your body holds her cell. That human whom you trade your life with has a Jenova Cell in him although it was tainted so the reunion will not affect him, (3) but you," she pointed her slender finger at me. "...have the only pure cell left in this world, excluding Sephiroth for he is her son, or so he thought. Reunion will happen with him and Jenova as the center. The cell in you will unite with theirs during that time. And that is what this is used for," she passed the bottle to me. I stared in doubt as she continued her explanation. "That poison is lethal but will not take your life if it is consumed in small dose regularly. Currently, the cell is becoming part of your body and my plan is to poison the cell slowly until the time the Reunion takes place, Jenova will take that very cell and weaken. At best, she will have to sleep longer to recover or die. The cell is now part of your body. Your death would mean the death of the cell and it is impossible to poison it without harming your body. This small dose will not kill you, but you will have to suffer the effect. I myself know not of what it might cause, thus, I can only hope that you can endure it."

The thought of the pain made me shiver. I certainly did not like the sound of it, nobody did, but I would endure it if it meant Zack would be alive. I nodded silently and held the bottle tightly.

"Cloud, I am very sorry." I lifted my head to see her, but the white had disappeared. I was left alone, staring blankly at the ocean. Even the owl had gone. I would have thought that I was dreaming if not for the small bottle in my clutches. I stared unpleasantly at the bottle. I wished I could crush it right here right now and enjoy my freedom, but that would mean breaking the contract and breaking the contract would mean Zack's life. I certainly would not want that to happen. I stared at the bottle one last time before pulling its cap open and downed the contents. The thing was tasteless, but I could feel the taste hanging on my tongue.

Minutes passed, I had brought myself to the nearest tree and sat below it. I wouldn't want to fall and drown in case I was suddenly attacked. After a few more minutes passed, I thought the side effect would not come so soon and sighed in relieved when suddenly a sharp pain attacked my throat and lung. My throat burned and it was hard to breathe. I wanted to scream, but couldn't. My voice would not come out. I tried to inhale deeply but only pain came. I coughed very hard, but still silently. Exhaling was so much easier, but I obviously needed to intake too. Slowly I inhaled, little by little taking in the precious oxygen. The pain slowly receded and my breathing gradually returned to normal. I was amazed I could still think clearly in the middle of the pain. I was not panicking and decided that breathing slowly would help. I sat and relaxed my back on the tree. The pain did not go completely. It was still throbbing, but after the initial pain, it was nothing. My head hung low and when a trickle of water dropped to my open palm, I finally realized I was sweating and crying. My body was wet and the wind would not help. It would just make me sick, so I decided to warm and dry myself in the camp (it would be very funny if someone actually thought I fell to the ocean). It was almost my turn to guard anyway. We decided to have night shifts for caution.

Upon reaching the camp, I saw Aerith near the campfire. It was her turn to watch before mine. I approached the girl and sat on the opposite side of her. She looked up and smiled when she saw me. I always liked her. She was gentle and kind, very mother-like. Sometimes, despite her kindness and my liking toward her, I also felt an envy-like feeling. I was not sure what I felt, but I know sometimes I was uneasy. It was wrong to have this kind of emotion toward someone so kind, especially when she was my best friend's girlfriend, but strangely, I felt the worst when I was thinking that she was Zack's girlfriend.

"Where did you go?" she asked. I always thought that her voice was melodious.

"The ocean..." It was difficult for me to talk openly to strangers. Not that she was a stranger for me, but I did not know much about her other than that she dated Zack.

"You look kind of pale. Are you okay?"

No, I'm not okay. My throat was hurting and my lungs were even worse. But it was not like I could tell her that. Instead, I smiled. "I was born pale."

She frowned. I did not convince her it seemed. "But you look paler than usual. Are you sick?"

She was always caring, but again, I put up a fake smile. I would make a good actor if I succeed every time, but this time I strongly wished she would not ask further. "No, I'm okay. Thank you for your concern." I knew I was a bit harsh or maybe cold toward her but that's how I was. I did not mean I really was cold. I found it difficult to open myself up to others.

"Don't say you are okay when you are not!" she stood up. Zack always said that I am a bad liar, and now I know, I was a very, very bad liar. I made her angry.

Aerith walked from her seat to an empty space beside me. She crouched down and put her palm on my forehead. "No fever but...you are sweating a lot! And you said you are okay?"

I could say nothing. I knew I could not fool her. I simply sat silently and let her examine me. When she checked my neck, she saw the reddish mark. She froze, eyes widened in shock. Her hand was trembling as she touched it. "This...is the mark of Minerva! Why, Cloud? Why do you have it?" (3)

I was surprised she knew. I guess she was more surprised that I know, and have it. "You know of it?" Silly question, if she did not know, she would not be so surprised.

"I...I am the last ancient. Didn't Zack tell you?" I shook my head. "Did you meet her? Did you do the summoning ritual?"

I was anxious but I knew she wouldn't stop asking until I told her. "Yes."

"What is the deal?"

I hesitated. I did not wish to tell her. She was Zack's girlfriend. Telling her would mean telling Zack and I did not want him to know. "I promised I would not tell anyone, including Zack. You have my word." She knew my thought. Maybe it was written on my face?

"My life for Zack's."

She did not say a thing. I thought she must be shocked that her boyfriend died once. I searched for any evidence of surprise but none shown, only sadness.

"I guessed as much. I knew Zack died once, but I didn't want to suspect anything or anyone. Will you tell me everything please? From how Zack died...and the goddess..."

I nodded. I knew I should not lie to her anymore so I told her everything. She said nothing while I recited my memories. She took everything. Frowned sometimes, but said nothing. Once in every while, I would stop and when she nodded, ensuring me she could still follow, I would continue. The moon was no more in sight, replaced by the sun. I still couldn't see it, but the light was on the horizon. I stopped at the part where I had the attack.

"So that is why you looked sick and pale..." I nodded. She frowned, as if she was in deep thought.

"Zack must be very precious to you..." she suddenly said. I was taken aback at her words. Zack...yeah, he was the most important in my life.

That was not a question and I knew she did not need my answer for she could always guess my thought.

"If he gave his life to protect you, that means you are precious to him too. It was so silly of you to give up the life he gave you."

I knew. And I knew he would be very angry if he learnt the truth. That is also why I didn't want anyone to know. I was telling her just because I lost to her determination for truth.

"I promise you I won't tell him, but can you promise me in return...next time, you have to tell me everything regarding this matter. I know I can't change your mind or stop you, but at least I want you to know that I will be here to help you." See, she read my thought again. She always could.

It was nice to know that someone other than Zack or Tifa cared so much about me. It helped to have someone you could depend on when trouble came. "Thanks, Aerith. I think I will take over the watch shift now. You should sleep soon."

"Are you going to be okay?"

I nodded and smiled.

She replied with a warm smile and went into her shared tent with Tifa. Strange, she knew I was lying before, but why didn't she know now...? I was in so much pain. I could breath just fine. My throat did not hurt either, but my whole body felt like being torn to pieces. I bit my lower lip hard. It bled, but it felt like small stings compared to the total pain I was enduring right now. I pulled my knee closer to my heart. My hand encircled my body. I tried my best to ignore the throbbing, but it was useless. Morning had come and they would be awake soon. I had to endure and pretend nothing was wrong...but if only it was as easy as that...

_Help me...

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_

Surprisingly long, isn't it?Please help me write long stories again by sending me reviews (puppy eyes).

I write too much emo...maybe I'll lighten up the story a bit...

Note:

(1) The setting in this story do not follow the main game but I may use some of it. If you have difficulties remembering the place, please google the map and you'll find it!

(2) If you play CC, you'll know what I mean. BUT, here, the cell is only one in his body (imagine a chunk of meat in Cloud's bloodstream...)

(3) I heard rumors about Minerva in both FF7 and CC but I don't know how true the rumor is. Forgive me if I'm wrong :D


	9. Announcement 2

Well, just a short notice for my lovely readers. I know I haven't uploaded for like ages. I know I'm always so slow (and I am VERY grateful for those who still read this story). I have my reason for being very slow. I had exams and assignments. I did write in my free time but unfortunately, my beta had midterm exams and assignments too. Now that I have done everything, I can write again (I have finished like, 4 chapters – 2 short and 2 long) but as I mentioned above, my beta is busy. She said she'll beta-ed the stories after she's done with midterm. I don't know when her midterm will finish, so I make this announcement to inform my dear readers that I'm not going to abandon this story.

I apologize for always being so slow at updating. And, thank you so much for still reading my crappy story. Love you all!


	10. Weakness

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any piece of FF7's characters!

**Summary: **Zack was dead, but Cloud did something to revive Zack. Story set after Crisis Core.

**WARNING!! THIS STORY CONTAINS YAOI, SHOUNEN-AI, BXB RELATIONSHIP, WHATEVER YOU CALL IT! IF YOU FEEL OFFENDED, PLEASE PUSH THE BACK BUTTON OF YOUR INTERNET BROWSER. IF YOU DO NOT MIND (hopefully) PLEASE CONTINUE TO READ! **

**Pairing:** CloudxZack (at first, Cloud one-sided, depends on how I wanted the story to go, they might become lover ;3), ZackxAerith, TifaxCloud (Tifa one-seided. Oh yeah, Tifa always had crush on Cloud)

**A/N: **I do not own a PSP so I do not play Crisis Core (I plan on buying it though), but from a lot of fictions I have read, I assume I have sufficient knowledge of the story. If you happen to find anything wrong, please be kind and inform me.

**This is an edited version. Many thanks to my wonderful betas for correcting the mistakes and improving it. **

I know I haven't upload for so long and I'm sorry (and worse, I got short chapter here…) Well, just forgive me cause I'll upload another one immediately ;D

Oh yeah, thanks a bunch for Spiralgal for the comment. It's nice to know that someone actually read the announcement hehehe…

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**Story 9: Weakness **

My whole body ached. I knelt on the hard surface, grabbing my arm tight. I was almost sure it would leave marks, but I didn't care. My mind was occupied by the pain. Tears fell to the earth. I gasped, but I quickly bit my lips. I knew how sensitive my hearing was and I knew Zack possessed the same ability. I didn't want him to find me in a situation like this. I suppressed the urge to scream and bit my lips harder. I knew I bit too hard when I tasted copper on my tongue. The weird thing about these whole pain attacks was that they were always so sudden and would subside in a moment. See, the pain receded. I sighed in relief, but fate seemed to hate me. My sensitive eyes caught a slight movement from quite a distance. My heart raced. The thumping sound of it filled my sensitive ears. I felt horrible.

"…I have bad feeling about this…" I whispered to myself. The only thing that appeared mostly in night time was monsters. I hoped it was not a pack of monsters or I'd be in trouble.

I stood up and walked away from the fire. When it was near enough, I was sure that it was indeed a monster, only one, but huge. Size did not matter to me, but I didn't want to wake everybody up because of some monster attacking the camp. I reached out for my sword that lied coldly near my tent and took it out from its sheath soundlessly. I approached the monster slowly and carefully so as not to produce any sound. The monster didn't notice me, so I proceed closer. I mentally counted the distance from my current location to the camp. From the look of it, I was quite sure that I was a safe distance away as to not wake them up while I was fighting. When I was nearer, I realized the monster was bigger than what I expected. Since it was dark, I was not very sure about the color. It had big horns and red eyes. Smoke came out from its mouth as it walked. Its claws were sharp, maybe sharper than this sword that I had. I proceeded cautiously from its side to the back. I noticed a line of sharp spikes on its back. I shook my head to get my focus back. I need to kill it fast, so I dashed toward the monster and prepared my sword. I reached the distance where I could slice its back, but the spikes seemed really hard. I spun slightly and raised the sharp metal and slashed through its belly. The sound of metal hitting metal rang dully in the silent night.

"Oh...Shit…" I cursed. Its red eyes met my blue. I could feel wrath from those orbs. I back-stepped and provided myself with some distance before attacking again. I held my sword tighter and prepared my stance. Most monsters with big size are usually slow, but that was not the case with this one I guess. Just as I prepared to attack it again, it was nowhere in sight. My eyes cautiously scanned the surroundings. I focused my ears to the slightest sound. At first it was silent, and a second later, I could see stars. I was lucky because my ears picked up its breathing sounds from behind me and I spun around and rolled just in time to avoid it from burying its claws in my body. Instead its knuckle hit my head. I shook my head to clear the dizziness and my hand grabbed the sword instinctively. With my free hand, I touched the part where I was hit. The back of my head was wet. I opened my eyes and checked the wetness on my hand. My pale hand was stained with the darker color of blood. I rolled my eyes in search of the thing that made me bleed. It was nowhere in sight. I was surprised to find that such a big beast was able to move so fast. It was no mere monster. I stood up and again raised my sword and prepared to attack it once it appeared.

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**Zack's PoV**

I was sleeping, yet I could hear soft whispers. My eyes were closed yet I felt awake. The voices outside made it hard for me to sleep soundly, as if my brain was yelling at me and my instincts told me to eavesdrop. My intuition was usually correct. I felt like I had to know whose voices they were and what they were talking about. I wanted to know, but my body felt dead. My consciousness was awake, but my body was asleep. Suddenly the voices stopped. After that I heard a gasp, but it disappeared almost immediately. As the night grew more silent, my consciousness fell back into the dream.

…

…..

…….

I didn't know how long I had been sleeping. It must have been only a few hours. I opened my eyes and stared at the ceiling. There was no light, but my eyes, like Cloud's, were Mako-enchanted eyes. We could see better than normal humans. I turned my head to the side, but I couldn't find the blonde. Unknown to myself, I was smiling. I only realized it when I sat up and looked at my own reflection on the small mirror that I put on the table last night. I seemed to smile whenever I thought of the blonde. He was one hell of a cutie.

I took my handphone and pressed a button. The clock showed that it was still early. Most of the members must've still been sleeping. I should have been asleep too, but I didn't feel like it now. Maybe I should take the watch shift or talk with the blonde. Ever since we left Midgar, we rarely spoke and I really missed it.

I reached for my vest and put it on. Although I thought it was not really necessary, it had become my habit to only go out when I had my vest on. I pushed open the cover of the tent slightly, but there was no blonde in sight. I put my boots on and walked out of the tent. I searched the surroundings but there was no sign of the younger boy. I smelt the air and noticed a slight smell of copper lingering in the air. I knew the smell. I was familiar with it. It was the very same smell, the sickening scent that you will always know if you were a soldier. It was the smell of blood. My heart raced. I looked around in hopes to find the blonde. When he was nowhere in sight, I began to panic. What if something happened? No, he was a soldier too. He could take care of himself. Furthermore, his physical and mental abilities were enhanced with Mako. He should be fine for now, but I still need to find him. I closed my eyes and concentrated with my ears. It was not clear, but I could hear the sound of clashing metal from further away. It should be Cloud. I took my Buster Sword and ran as fast as my feet could carry. I was confident about his potential in battle. I doubted he would lose to some common monsters, but my heart wouldn't stop racing. I had a bad feeling.

When I reached him, I saw a huge monster, a type that I had never seen before. Its arm was raised. Its claws prepared to hit the lithe body in front of him. Cloud was staring at him. His eyes were dead. I could see no emotion in them. No fear, no anger, nothing. It was as if the blonde had prepared himself and accepted his death. I looked around and found his sword had broken into two, lying shattered on the ground. In that moment, I was not sure what happened. I could only see flashes of images. My sword hit the monster, a pool of red, Cloud's eyes fixed into mine, and the last thing I heard was the monster's pitiful roar of its final breath. I sighed in relief and fell to the ground. Cloud didn't move. He stared at me for a while before reaching out his hand and touching my head.

"Zack…you okay?"

"Dammit, Cloud, that should be my line! You could've died just now if I was not awake!"

He looked away, but his hand was still on my head. "Sorry, Zack. I thought I could handle it. I never thought…that I was THIS weak…" the look on his face was predictable although his bangs covered most. He felt defeated.

"Cloud, you are not weak at all…this monster…"

"It's okay. I know myself better than anyone. Thanks for helping me. Let's go back to the camp." He took his hand away from my head and walked away. His steps swayed a bit as he walked. I couldn't help but wonder. Cloud seemed different lately. He always avoided being together with me alone. It was not because of hate, I could guarantee that. No matter what I did, he only showed me affection. Him avoiding me seemed to be more like he was trying to hide something from me.

"Zack, are you coming?"

His call woke me from my train of thought. I didn't want to force him to tell me everything. He would tell me when he thinks it's the right time.

"I'm coming!"

_Yeah, you will tell me eventually, won't you Cloud?_


	11. Beginning of the End

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any piece of FF7's characters!

**Summary: **Zack was dead, but Cloud did something to revive Zack. Story set after Crisis Core.

**WARNING!! THIS STORY CONTAINS YAOI, SHOUNEN-AI, BXB RELATIONSHIP, WHATEVER YOU CALL IT! IF YOU FEEL OFFENDED, PLEASE PUSH THE BACK BUTTON OF YOUR INTERNET BROWSER. IF YOU DO NOT MIND (hopefully) PLEASE CONTINUE TO READ! **

**Pairing:** CloudxZack (at first, Cloud one-sided, depends on how I wanted the story to go, they might become lover ;3), ZackxAerith, TifaxCloud (Tifa one-seided. Oh yeah, Tifa always had crush on Cloud)

**A/N: **I do not own a PSP so I do not play Crisis Core (I plan on buying it though), but from a lot of fictions I have read, I assume I have sufficient knowledge of the story. If you happen to find anything wrong, please be kind and inform me.

**This is an edited version. Many thanks to my wonderful betas for correcting the mistakes and improving it. **

Here's another chapter, as I promised. I'll upload the other 2 chapters as soon as my beta finished correcting them.

Oh, thanks a bunch for Spiralgal for the review. I hope my story won't disappoint you. Also thanks to DarkBombayAngel for the review. Loved u guys~

Then, thank you so much for everybody who put this story into their alert and fave list. Last, thanks to all of you who still reads this story!

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**Story 10: Beginning of the End**

"Hey Chocobo head, stop moving your head. You make it hard for me!"

What were we doing? Zack was bandaging my head after the fight with that unknown monster. He didn't notice it at first, but when we reached the camp and the fire gave enough lighting for our eyes, he finally noticed that my pale blond hair had gotten red. Not all, but most. Somehow it looked like I had half of my hair dyed red. The color was creepy of course. I had it washed right away, but then Zack noticed that the wound was actually deeper than I thought. I guessed the monster's claw did scratch my head a bit. I told Zack I could warp the wound, but he insisted that he should do it and all of that led to this situation. I sat in front of Zack, facing him. I couldn't bring my eyes to meet his, so I turned my head. Zack seemed to notice it and he kept scolding me for turning away.

It was hard for me to sit quietly under his gaze. I wanted to run right now, but I couldn't do it. I could only bite my lips again and stop myself from fidgeting every time his fingers touched my skin.

"You know…" he suddenly started, making me slightly jump in surprise, "…I noticed that you avoid me lately."

I laughed inwardly. I knew this question was going to come sooner or later. Am I such a bad actor? First Aerith and now Zack?

"What do you mean? I never avoid you."

Usually he would just laugh and say, 'oh, then I was wrong?' but he didn't laugh. I knew he wanted a serious conversation.

"If so, then will you say that and look at my eyes?"

Of course I couldn't. He knew I was lying. I stared at my feet as if something might grow suddenly. I tried to keep myself calm although I almost reached my limit. I really wanted to run right now.

"Cloud," he patted my head and lifted my head. His beautiful azure eyes stared at mine. I saw neither disappointment nor anger was shown. There was only pure understanding and care. "…I won't force you to tell me everything, but if that is important for you, then I wish to know it. If that is a problem, then I wish to help you. And if that has something to do with me, you have to tell me."

I couldn't reply him. I couldn't even give a nod. Everything he had said was exactly what I couldn't say.

"…I see…" he sighed. "…you couldn't tell me anything, but can you just give a nod to my questions? I won't ask you the details, but please don't lie to me."

"….fine…"

"Thank you."

I could feel his smile. I can only hope he didn't ask questions I couldn't answer.

"Are you avoiding me because you hate me?" I shook my head. He sighed in relief. Zack must have thought that I hated him.

"Then was it because you've done something…wrong?" I shrugged and I noticed he frowned. I was not sure how to answer this one. It might be wrong for him, but for me my decision was correct.

"Okay, last question. Does it have something to do with your life or mine?" I froze. How did he know?

"Cloud, don't lie to me, please." I hesitated, but then nodded in defeat. I couldn't refuse him when he said something like that. I imagined he must've been very confused or angry right now. Zack removed his hand from my head. He moved and sat on the ground. His eyes leveled with mine.

"You know what, although I didn't know the details, I knew you've been keeping something from me and that has something to do with me and my life. I was so sure that I was going to meet Angeal that time, but when I woke up, I found myself on a bed. I didn't know how I survived, but now I know you did something. Just…promise me something. Please, whatever you did don't ever throw away your life."

"I promise." Yeah, I promised him something I couldn't fulfill. There was no way I could tell him that I already gave up my life. I had prepared myself. I would gladly accept his wrath or whatever he threw at me later as long as he was here with me…until my life drained.

"Good, I'm done." With a gentle tap to my cheek, he stood up and arranged the medical aids and materia. Although heal material was able to close wounds, in cases where the wound is too deep, medical aids were still needed. Following him, I stood up and made my way back to the tent. The sun had risen and it wouldn't be long until we departed again. I needed to prepare myself.

* * *

**Zack's Pov**

"You know what, although I didn't know the details, I knew you've been keeping something from me and that has something to do with me and my life. I was so sure that I was going to meet Angeal that time, but when I woke up, I found myself on a bed. I didn't know how I survived, but now I know you did something. Just…promise me something. Please, whatever you did don't ever throw away your life."

Although I said all those things, I knew, deep in my heart, that Cloud was not just doing some heal casting to save me. Heal material could be used to close the wound, but if the wound is too severe, not even a phoenix down could help. I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to know, but forcing him to tell me would hurt him. I knew, from his expression, that he had done something that couldn't be undone.

"Cloud…what have you done…?" My head hung low, my voice came out only as a whisper. My eyes stared blankly at the medical kit that I hold. I fought the urge to throw away the medical kit. I was frustrated.

"Zack…?" I turned to the voice that called to me. I saw Aerith come out from the tent she shared with Tifa. She looked concerned.

"Heya, have a good sleep?" I waved my hand to greet her. She smiled in return and passed me one of the two cups she held. I gratefully took it.

"Why are you holding that?" she asked, pointing at the medical kit on my lap.

"Oh, this…Cloudy had his head scratched by a monster. The wound is small and I've mended it, don't worry." I took a sip at the warm liquid. It was refreshing after the fight.

"I think I should check on him…" Aerirth stood and left her cup beside me. Before she walked away, I caught her hand. Something was bothering me. She knew something, otherwise she wouldn't have make that kind of face when I told her Cloud was slightly wounded.

"You know something, don't you?"

"What do you mean?"

"….No, forget it…Sorry for asking…" She wouldn't tell me even if I asked, so what was the point of asking anyway. I let go of her hand. My head hung low. I was disappointed, sad, concerned; everything was so mixed up.

"Zack," she said, hand patting my head gently. "He will tell you when the time comes. Until then, just be patient and believe in him."

I nodded, but my mind was not there to accept the words. Why…why did Aerith know? Why did he tell her? Why not me? What did she know? My emotions were in disorder. I hated to be left alone. I wanted to know the truth, but I didn't want to force both of them. Then what should I do? I didn't know. The most distinct emotions I could feel were anger and disappointment. Unknown to me, this would be the beginning of everything and also the end of my current relationship with them.

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Arghhhh why I feel like the storyline is so chaotic?!!!! Oh whatever, next chapter I will go back to follow the initial storyline...so maybe...just maybe...will be less chaotic haha...


	12. Lurking Evil

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any piece of FF7's characters!

**Summary: **Zack was dead, but Cloud did something to revive Zack. Story set after Crisis Core.

**WARNING!! THIS STORY CONTAINS YAOI, SHOUNEN-AI, BXB RELATIONSHIP, WHATEVER YOU CALL IT! IF YOU FEEL OFFENDED, PLEASE PUSH THE BACK BUTTON OF YOUR INTERNET BROWSER. IF YOU DO NOT MIND (hopefully) PLEASE CONTINUE TO READ! **

**Pairing:** CloudxZack (at first, Cloud one-sided, depends on how I wanted the story to go, they might become lover ;3), ZackxAerith, TifaxCloud (Tifa one-seided. Oh yeah, Tifa always had crush on Cloud)

**A/N: **I do not own a PSP so I do not play Crisis Core (I plan on buying it though), but from a lot of fictions I have read, I assume I have sufficient knowledge of the story. If you happen to find anything wrong, please be kind and inform me.

**This is an edited version. Many thanks to my wonderful betas for correcting the mistakes and improving it. **

Another chapter and a longer one, yay! Another chapter will be up soon. I hope so. So, as usual, let me thank all of the amazing people who reviewed, put this story into their story & favorite lists. I AM SO VERY HAPPY! Especially to "free the sky's clouds" for pointing out a silly mistake that I did in the earlier chapter (amazingly no one seems to notice that). But because I'm a lazy bum, forgive me for not fixing it. Cloud in the 1st chapter (if the memory serves me right) use heal materia to cure Zack, and I was wrong. It was the restore materia, so again, thanks to "free the sky's clouds" for pointing that out.

Next, thanks to spiralgal and DarkBombayAngel for always reviewing. I loved you sooo much, so cake for ya ;D

Of course, I also LOVED everybody who has more than willing to press the review button to encourage me. Hugs and kisses to you all.

Well, go on with the story...

**

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**Story 11: Lurking Evil  
**

**Zack's PoV**

"Well then, to reach Fort Condor we have to pass this," Tifa pointed to a small dot on the map to show our next destination. We had stayed quite awhile in this place and decided that it was time to move and continue with our mission. "…and we need Chocobos to cross the swamp."

"And why Chocobos?" I asked while my hand was busy snatching some food. I threw bread to Cloud who had just come out from the tent. He did not look at me, but he ate the bread gratefully. He looked exhausted, not that I blamed him. Yesterday was a long, tiring day for him. I was tired too, not physically, but mentally. After my conversation with Aerith, I thought all night long. In the end, I decided to trust Cloud. I trailed his movements from the corner of my eyes and noticed he had taken off the bandages. I must have underestimated Mako-enchanted human's regenerative abilities. I smiled inwardly and turned my focus back to Tifa.

"….and that's that. Well, where's Barret?" she looked around, but found no trace of the copper-skinned man.

"Snoring in the tent." I took another piece of bread. "Eh, you haven't answered my question. Why Chocobos?" I noticed she frowned deeply. She folded her hands and sighed. I must have missed her answer while trailing the blonde boy. I laughed and she shook her head.

"Rumor said, well, I believe it's not really a rumor, but that place is the giant serpent's playground it seems. I don't want unnecessary victims!" She added the last sentence when she saw my face. I wanted to say 'hey I'll beat 'em for ya' but she successfully read my heart.

"Zack, you want some action right? We will let you catch the Chocobos then." Well, that's Aerith for you. You couldn't say 'no' to her cause whatever you said, after you looked at her face, she would make you say 'yes', conscious or not. I sighed in defeat and walked back to my tent. Catching Chocobos might prove to be a challenge….maybe….

Inside the tent, I saw that bags and some items had disappeared. Cloud must have packed important stuff into the bags. He had always been so diligent and organized. He was a good compliment for someone as reckless and forgetful as me. I looked around, but Cloud was not there. He had not returned yet it seemed. The tent was silent except for the loud snoring from a certain big guy. I nudged his chubby cheek. The sleeping man groaned and turned to the other side. He buried his face in his arm. To reduce the weight of tools we brought, there were no comfy pillows. In this situation, I envy Barret who had large arms. It must be nice to sleep on those.

Nudging the man again, this time I tried to wake him up. It was past the meeting time. He as the leader was supposed to brief us, not Tifa. The brunette girl said to leave him alone since Barret wouldn't wake up unless he slept for at least ten hours. "Barret, wake up big guy." No response. Maybe there is – the snoring. I tickled his side and he groaned. He slapped my hand and went back to sleep. If he gave response, then it meant he was awake. I tickled his side again and he tried to push my hand again, but I learned from experience. I moved higher then lower and repeated the action until, finally, he snapped.

"Cut it out, Spiky 'ead!" I looked at his scowling face and laughed. His face was always so funny to see, but it was funnier when he'd just woken up.

"You should've woken up since…like an hour ago. We had briefing, leader! Now move your ass because we're leaving soon."

------

**Cloud's PoV**

I had a headache since last night. I was wondering if that was the side effect of the poison, or because I hurt my head yesterday night. Well, whatever the reason was, the morning sun was annoying and caused my head to throb endlessly. I was not a morning person, but I always liked the morning. This was the first time in my life that I wished morning had never come. I took a handful of water from the basin and washed my face. The water was cold, but it was soothing to my throbbing head. I looked at my reflection on the surface of the transparent water. My hair, as usual, defied gravity. My face looked tired and lifeless. I couldn't sleep last night. I closed my eyes, pretending to sleep, but my mind was conscious. The throbbing in my head just wouldn't stop and it was so irritating. I had good long thoughts, despite the headache, about everything that happened. I was wondering why I was so stupid and did something like cutting my own flesh. I wished for Zack to be alive and well, and it had happened. Then why am I so depressed? Why am I so stressed? What am I hoping? I thought about that repeatedly. I knew the answer. I'd known it since forever. I loved him, not as a friend, not as a best friend, and not as a fellow soldier. I loved him as an individual. I wanted him for myself. I was depressed because I couldn't make that happen. I was stressed because he would hate me for that. I was hoping he would return my feelings, which would never ever happen. I was jealous about Aerith. I felt disgusted at myself. I knew I was just making excuses when I forced myself to think that Zack would hate me because I revived him. Reviving him was just one of my own selfish acts. I am not worthy of his life, not someone as filthy as me. I had my answer. I should kill my feelings for him. I should wish him happiness. The water surface formed a ripple as a drop of water fell in it. I was crying. Why am I crying? Am I hesitating? Am I refusing to forget my own feelings? I was confused. My own heart was confusing. I wanted to tell him how I felt, but I did not want to break our current relationship. I just couldn't understand myself anymore.

_Just take him for yourself._

"Wha...?"

_You know you want him._

"Who...?"

_You know who I am. I am you and you are me. _

I looked around, but no one was there. I looked down and found my own reflection smiling at me. The smile was so twisted that it gave me goose bumps. Is it really me? Do I look so twisted?

_I am you, another you. Well, that's enough for today. We will meet again, Cloud._

"Wha…what had just happened…?"

I looked again at the water, but there was nothing but my own tired face. Was it my imagination? I heard the voice clearly, and I was quite certain it was my own voice and face. How? Why?

"Cloud?" I froze and turned around slowly. I was afraid that 'he' would appear suddenly from behind. I knew it was silly, but I couldn't help being afraid. When I saw Aerith's gentle smile, I released the breath I was holding in relief. "Is something wrong?"

"Nah, I'm just surprised. That's all. Can I help you?" I couldn't help but feel a little bit hesitant. She is Zack's girlfriend. I understand completely why Zack fell in love with her. She was kind, gentle, and mature, unlike me who was just childish, immature, and…sad.

"We'll be leaving soon. Are you done?"

I wiped my face with the piece of cloth on my head and nodded. "I am done packing. I'm ready to leave. What about the others?"

"They're good to go," she smiled, but for a few moments, she was staring at my face looking concerned. "Did something happen?"

As sharp as always. Many things had been on my mind, replaying endlessly even when I slept. However, those are my own problems, so I shook my head. "Nope. Just a bit tired. Don't worry about me."

She looked unconvinced, but she wouldn't ask further. That's just how she is, kind and understanding. She was a sister figure for me. Mother was the only person in my family. She was the first that cared for me deeply without ever wanting something in return. Since her death, Zack had been a replacement for her. He looked after me, helped me, protected me, and now, since we rescued Aerith, she always took care of us like an older sister. I was jealous of her, jealous of her relationship with Zack, jealous of her kindness, gentleness and maturity. However, no matter how hard I tried not to be close to her, she always came to me and spoke gently. In the end, I couldn't hate her. I like her, love her, and care for her. I wanted Aerith to be happy. I wanted Zack to be happy, too. That was why the only road available for me to walk was to forget I ever had feelings for Zack.

"Cloud, let's go."

"Yeah." Yeah, I had to forget about it. I had a more important problem to deal with, _Jenova_ and _Sephiroth_.

---

I was laughing. Yes, laughing. Why? Because it was so much fun to watch Barret try to catch the Chocobos. At first it was only Zack, but then he said he wouldn't be able to catch too many alone and he needed help. Therefore, Barret and I were forced to help. It was easy for me since I had brought Chocobo Lure material from a nearby ranch and Zack; well it was easy for him too. I just couldn't comprehend how he could be so friendly with those birds. He caught two while Barret was still jumping around trying to ride the Chocobo. In the end, he was thrown off by the Chocobo and hit his head. I could see a small bump on top of his forehead. I would say it was so cute of him, exclude his scary face and big body. Zack finally gave up when Barret was thrown off for I don't know how many times since I lost count. Zack caught one and we finally crossed the swamp.

I fully agree that we needed Chocobos to cross this cursed swamp. It was hard to walk. Normal people wouldn't be able to evade the giant serpent. It was incredibly fast and huge, too. Even with Chocobos, we were barely able to avoid it. It almost killed me several times. Thankfully, Chocobos had good instincts and feet. It continuously evaded the attacks and ran. After a full hour of hide and seek, we finally crossed the swamp. I couldn't describe how grateful I was to the Chocobo. One mistake and we would have been the snake's snacks.

"It was so much fun!" Zack stood in front of his Chocobo and petted his head. The yellow bird purred happily. Zack took his hand off the bird's head and it ran away. I did the same and mine took off, too.

"It's good to see you enjoyed the ride, but we almost ended up in a snake's stomach you know." I walked to his side and checked for injuries. When I saw none, I walked to the other members. Tifa had a small scratch, but nothing else. The others, too, had nothing but small scratches. I was amazed that Zack hadn't gotten any injuries at all. I was even more amazed to see him jumping and somersaulting on a Chocobo. No one could do that except the hyperactive man.

"Hey, it was really fun and we made it out safely, didn't we? So no complaining and let's move on!" Really, he always made it sound so easy. I smiled inwardly. Surely, that was his good point, always positive and optimist.

Right after the giant snake, we had to cross a mountain. Well, not exactly a mountain, it was more like a hill. It was a good thing since everyone seemed tired. We'd have to camp soon and the sun was setting. Zack lead the way and we entered the hill. Somehow, I felt uneasiness in the air. Something was amiss and I smelt blood. When Zack suddenly stopped, I knew right away that something had really happened. I walked past him and I saw that the giant serpent we tried so hard to evade had been killed. Its head had been pierced by a long katana, Sephiroth's trademark sword, Masamune. Blood dripped from its head to the body and finally to the ground. I felt nauseous. My head throbbed. My body moved on its own. I walked to the snake. My vision blurred and I finally passed out. Just before everything went dark, I heard 'him' again.

_You will eventually be mine. _

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**Zack's PoV**

I saw the giant serpent we tried so hard to avoid killed with Masamune. It was Sephiroth. I stopped walking, shocked by the scene. The gap of strength was so much. I couldn't do anything except watch the dead snake and think that we would never be able to kill the silver haired man. When Cloud walked past me, I caught a glimpse of his face. He was just as surprised as I was, but his eyes showed so much fear. For a moment he was just standing next to me, absorbed by the scene, just like I was. Then he walked toward the corpse. His eyes were unfocused and his steps swayed. I followed him silently, ready to catch him if he passed out, but he didn't. He walked closer and closer. I looked back to check the other members. They froze, not that I blamed them because I did too. I turned my attention to the younger man in front of me again and walked closer to him. Then I saw something. Cloud touched the snake, feeling every scale on its body as if he wanted to count it. When his hand touched the blood, he stopped. I looked at his face from the side. His head hung low, bangs covered his eyes, but I could see he was smiling. His usual weak but kind smile was now dark and evil. I thought I was daydreaming, but I wasn't. I rubbed my eyes, but the twisted smile was there. Fear rose in my heart. I reached my hand to him, wanting to ask whether he was okay, but then I stopped. Cloud's hand stained in red. He stared at his own hand. He raised his head. I could see his eyes. An evil gleam reflected on the beautiful blue orbs. He raised his hand gracefully and he licked the blood. Eyes shone wickedly, smile formed evilly. I just couldn't comprehend what happened. I didn't even know what I was doing. When I realized, my hand had caught his wrist and he had turned back to normal. We both said nothing. My hand was still holding his wrist. His eyes had changed back, but I could sense fear. His body shook. From the hand that I used to hold his wrist, I could feel his fear, his tremble. I released his hand, still in silence, and reached for his face, but he stepped back. I stopped and he did too. Still trembling, he hurriedly walked past me and the dead snake. I did nothing. I stood there, frozen. My head was trying to register whatever just happened. I just saw the boy licked the blood!

"Zack…" Aerith's voice brought me back to reality. The others had recovered from their shock, but it seemed that no one saw Cloud's momentary change. I pushed the thought back and focused on passing this place and finding a camping site. I really needed to rest.

---

**Cloud's PoV**

I was in deep darkness, floating uncomfortably. I felt nauseous. In this darkness, I still smelt the blood of that snake. I tried to remember whatever happened before I fell into this abyss of darkness. Then I remembered his voice, _another me._I fell into despair. What if he did something bad to the others? I was worried, but I knew no way to escape this place. No matter how far my sight could reach, there was only darkness and emptiness. I felt despair and fear. I stopped thinking and let this abyss take me wherever it wanted to, although I thought that I was just floating endlessly and aimlessly. In this silence, I could only hear my own heartbeat, a proof that I was alive. Suddenly, everything started to spin. I closed my eyes, hoping to overcome the sudden dizziness. When I opened them again, I saw red. I saw blood. I was panicked. Did I do something? Then I realized Zack was holding my wrist. In front of me was the dead snake. The smell of blood told me that it was of the snake. I could taste the coppery smell lingering in my mouth and tongue. Realization hit me. I drank the blood. I trembled greatly, unable to look at Zack. When he released my wrist, I froze, unable and afraid to move. When his hand reached out to me, my feet brought me back. I did not know why I did it. Nothing came to my mind. I was trembling. I was afraid of myself. I walked fast past him. He stood there, doing nothing to stop me. He must have felt horrified. When I ran far enough, I vomited. I threw up everything in my stomach, but the smell of blood lingered in my nose and mouth. I felt sick.

_It's too bad I could only come out for a while. It was fun. You should have looked at Zack's face when I licked the blood. _

"Stop it…"

_Do you feel disgusted at me? Well, I am you, Cloud._

"Stop it…" My voice was harsh and I was begging. It was weird because practically, I was begging myself to stop.

_Your everything will be mine._

"Please, stop it…" I was broken. Everything happened just too fast for me to comprehend. It was suffocating. "…help me…"

_No one will help you. You are mine, now and forever. _

_

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_My beta said that the story is ominous. She did say that it fit well but...I was wondering if it is too heavy, or dark or angst? Tell me your opinion & I will try to improve if I can...hopefully. So, press the review button & I will be VERY happy ;D


	13. The Second Fullmoon

**Disclaimer: **If I owned FF7, I will make Zack loved Cloud!

**Summary: **Zack was dead, but Cloud did something to revive Zack. Story set after Crisis Core.

**WARNING!! THIS STORY CONTAINS YAOI, SHOUNEN-AI, BXB RELATIONSHIP, WHATEVER YOU CALL IT! IF YOU FEEL OFFENDED, PLEASE PUSH THE BACK BUTTON OF YOUR INTERNET BROWSER. IF YOU DO NOT MIND (hopefully) PLEASE CONTINUE TO READ! **

**Pairing:** CloudxZack (at first, Cloud one-sided, depends on how I wanted the story to go, they might become lover ;3), ZackxAerith, TifaxCloud (Tifa one-seided. Oh yeah, Tifa always had crush on Cloud)

**A/N: **I do not own a PSP so I do not play Crisis Core (I plan on buying it though), but from a lot of fictions I have read, I assume I have sufficient knowledge of the story. If you happen to find anything wrong, please be kind and inform me.

**This is an edited version. Many thanks to my wonderful betas for correcting the mistakes and improving it. **

As usual, thank you so much for everybody who reviewed. I loved your encouraging reviews and of course, I'm happy when people actually loved my story. I will try my best. Oh and, please forgive the constant angst and Cloud's fans, please don't hate me for torturing the poor boy ;D (Although actually I'm Cloudy's fans too haha)

To show how high my happiness level right now, I present you....TA-DAH!!! Another fast update, and a long chapter!!!

My beta said poor Cloudy will have a mental breakdown soon because I tortured him too much...so spoiler, _That is EXACTLY my intention _- evil smirk -

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**Story 12: The Second Fullmoon**

**Zack's PoV**

I saw his face. I saw his eyes. I couldn't help but shiver in fear. He ran from me, from everything, but I did nothing. I froze in place. I did not know what had just happened. He _licked _the blood. He looked ecstatic. Nothing came to my mind. I watched him in disbelief. Everything blurred. I did not know what to do. I did not know what to think. I just couldn't understand. What had just happened? Someone tell me.

"Zack…? Is something wrong?" I snapped back to reality. I looked at the brunette. She looked concerned. Cloud's childhood friend; did she know why Cloud became like that? Did she know that Cloud did something like that? There was so much I wanted to ask, but the words seemed to be stuck in my throat. I opened my lips, but only a strangled whisper came out.

"What happened to Cloud? Why did he run off like that?" she asked again. None of them seemed to have seen what he'd done. I shook my head. I knew what I had to do. Find him now.

"I'll go on ahead and find him. I'll wait for you guys when I find him. Later!" I ran as fast as I could. I had to find him fast. I traced the smell of blood that still lingered in the air. It was easy because I had a keen nose. I ignored the branches of dried trees that scratched my face and hands. I let my nose lead me and my feet brought me to wherever he was. Then I saw him, standing motionless like a broken doll. He stared into the blank space. Eyes looked lifeless. I didn't know what was going on in his head. I walked to him slowly. He seemed to notice me. He turned to me, looked at me. There was no emotion showing in his beautiful blue orbs. Then he smiled.

"Cloud…" I reached my hand to him. Still smiling, he walked past me. For a while he stopped, but he was not looking at me.

"I'm sorry for running off. I'll go and find the others." Then he walked off, leaving me alone and dumbfounded.

----

**Cloud's PoV**

I was drowning in my own thoughts, wondering how much more I would fall into the path of darkness. I am sinful. I heard footsteps. I knew they were Zack's. I turned to him. He looked at me and frowned and I got the feeling that he wanted to ask a lot of things, but I didn't want to talk about anything. I didn't wish for him to hate me. The only one I would sacrifice anything for. Yes, I am sinful. I smiled.

"Cloud…"

I am dirty. Rather than be beautiful and lose him, I'd rather be the demon. I smiled. Yeah, I would be as sinful as I could be, as long as you were happy. I walked past him; a twisted smile adorned my face. I stopped when he couldn't see my face anymore. I didn't know what kind of face I made when I said the words, but my heart was pierced with thousands of needles. "I'm sorry for running off. I'll go and find the others." Yes, this is the best. I must avoid being alone with him. I wouldn't let _him_ do anything to Zack. Not while I'm conscious. This time, I will protect Zack.

I traced the road back. I couldn't remember which way I took. I was too busy with my shock and fear at the time. I closed my eyes, concentrating. I was in an area with a lot of dried trees. I inhaled the air and I smelt blood. It was not the sickening smell of the reptile's blood. It was Zack's and almost dried. I walked to the fallen branches on my side. Although there was only a little, I saw traces of dried blood on some of them. I felt warmth. Even just a little, I was happy that Zack came for me. He was running. He was worried. I laughed softly.

"Silly, you're too kind…" The words came out in a whisper. I didn't say it for others to hear, so I didn't care if no one heard it. I reached for one of the branches, the smallest, and held it close. It was a proof that, at the very least, he had shown concern for me. I put it in my pocket. I raised my hand and pressed my palm close to my heart and prayed, "May you be happy, always and forever."

I had my resolve. I wouldn't falter anymore. I promised to myself that I wouldn't give in to _him_, until I fulfilled the contract. I rose to my feet and walked away. My path, let it be hell if that would mean heaven to the one I loved. Carve the pain to my soul if that was what I needed to be alive. I would move on. 'Til the day my soul leaves this body.

---

I heard footsteps come near. It should be Tifa and the others. I slapped my own face softly. I had to appear normal to them. I tried to smile my usual weak smile. I hoped it was not weird because right now I couldn't see my own face. I ran slightly and greeted them with a smile.

"The 'ell are ya runnin' off to?" irritated, Barret greeted my smile. He looked as scary as usual. I was wondering if he was ever happy except with Marlene before. I laughed sheepishly. It was foolish of me not to think of an excuse before running off to them.

"Stop it, we're all tired. Let's just move on and find a place to rest." Again, the always-kind Aerith saved me. So much for putting up a fake smile, she looked unconvinced. Hell, I had a lot of explaining to do later. I promised her that I would tell her everything. I felt uncomfortable, but also relieved to be able to talk to someone. Having a secret and be unable to talk to anybody was just suffocating. I could always have help, especially when I had _him _inside of me. I made a self-note to tell Aerith that if someday, if ever, _he _came out and did something to harm any of them, I would like her to do something. Well, considering her personality, she wouldn't kill me. However, if she could do anything to stop _him, _I didn't have any complaints.

After I joined them, we walked a bit and met up with Zack. He was his usual self, laughing and bright. Occasionally I noticed he would secretly follow my movements as if afraid that I would turn mad like Sephiroth did. Well, not that I wouldn't. Eventually, _he, _the other me, would take over this body. I might have sounded pessimistic, but I felt his presence with every step I made. As the seconds passed, his presence grew stronger, little by little. Why was it now? Was it because of the poison? I was so confused and it made me forget that tonight was another full moon.

We finally made it to the barren hill and out to the plains. We found a camping site nearby and decided to stay. I noticed that my body felt weakened. My breaths were harsh. I was born and raised in Nibelheim, a mountain area. Hiking was not much of a problem to me, then why would crossing a hill take so much out of me? The only explanation I could come up with was that my body, together with Jenova cells, was weakened. The source of a SOLDIER's super power was Mako and Jenova cells. When the cells are weakened, so is the body. Sometimes, my body ached, not to the extent that I couldn't handle it, but it took a lot of my stamina to suppress the pain and act normally.

"Cloud, are you okay? You're sweating a lot," I looked at Tifa, my childhood friend, my first love. She was the most popular girl back then and I was so in love with her, but, of course, I was rejected.

"Yeah, just a bit tired. I will be fine after a good sleep."

She nodded and passed me a glass of lukewarm chocolate. "It'll help. Make sure to sleep earlier okay!" Then she waved and ran off. She'd been nice to me since we were small. It always made me wonder why she bothered to be kind to someone as gloomy as I was. I ended the thought with the conclusion; 'she is nice to everybody because she is kind' and I think it was correct. I took a sip at the drink and felt warmth run down my throat and to my stomach. It was soothing. I entered the tent they had set up and found my usual sleeping spot. I lied on the leather cushion. Not so comfortable, but enough for a temporary rest. I closed my eyes and tried to rest my mind. I think I was too tired. I slept almost immediately.

I had a dream. I was standing. The scenery was familiar. I saw everybody. They were shouting something I couldn't hear. I saw Tifa crying, Barret angry, Aerith looked at me sharply, and Zack, well I didn't know how to describe, might be confusion or might also be anger. I couldn't understand. I saw blood from my sword and my hand. I felt ecstatic. I laughed and dashed toward the nearest person. It was Aerith. I looked at Zack who stood behind her. He looked hurt. I saw sadness in him. I raised my sword and he raised his to protect the brunette. Then the sword clashed. I saw red. I saw blood. Then everything went dark.

My eyes shot opened. I was sweating a lot. I breathed heavily. My heart was beating so loud that I could hear nothing except the sound of it. I felt so scared all of the sudden. I tried to kill Zack in my dream. I hurt everybody. I didn't know why I did that, but I felt joy. I was enjoying their pained expressions.

"It was just a dream…" I tried to reassure myself. I wouldn't do something like that. I wouldn't try to hurt Zack of all people. His life is worth more than my own and, above everything, I loved him more than anyone I'd ever loved. He was everything to me. I was even willing to sacrifice myself for him. Trying to kill him meant to kill myself. However, if it was _him_, then it was possible.

I wiped my forehead and noticed how wet it was. I winced when I stood up. I had already gotten used to the random pain. Since I obtained and drank the poison, I always experienced pain sometimes. At first, it was so painful that I felt like dying, but later I got accustomed to it.

"Getting used to pain…I am so…twisted," I laughed at myself inwardly. Who the hell would want to get used to pain, I am no masochist.

---

"Aerith, can I talk to you?" I couldn't sleep after the dream, so I decided to tell Aerith. Maybe she could help and I still had to remind her about my sudden personality change.

"Yeah, but I'm kind of busy right now. Can we talk later?" I noticed that she was busy preparing our dinner. We had the night shift and were to cook. Tonight it was Aerith's turn to cook. I nodded and walked to the biggest tree in the empty plains, resting my back on its huge trunk. My body was really tired; my eyes were heavy, but I could not rest them. I was too afraid to sleep and to dream. I brushed my eyes in an effort to drive away the sleep spell that seemed to attach itself to my eyes. I looked up, noticing that the sky had turned dark blue. I didn't manage to sleep too long. I hoped I wouldn't be a burden tomorrow. I was tired, too tired. My eyes fluttered weakly. I tried to keep them open, but they were too heavy. The scenery began to blur as I almost drifted back to sleep. Then, I saw light. Although a blur, I could still identify the light. Golden light warped by the curtain of dark. It was the moon. Tonight was the full moon.

"Full moon…" I recited it. There was something, a very important thing, forgotten in my tiredness. I fell asleep with the blurry sight of the moon printed in my head.

I was wrapped in warm light. I was dreaming again.

"Cloud…"

_Familiar voice…I knew that voice…_

"Cloud…"

_Something important…forgotten…_

"Cloud…the…second…"

_Zack…the other me…I kill….Minerva…Jenova…._

"Minerva…" I remember. Full moon, Minerva, the contract. Everything spun around in front of my eyes. I remembered. Full moon, I was to receive the second bottle. I opened my eyes and the scenery came back. I was alone, sitting under the tree. There was silence. From afar, there was light from the fire at the camp. I looked around, but there was no sight of Minerva's owl. I pushed myself up to stand and something fell from my lap. It was the second bottle and a few bird feathers. I took the bottle and examined the liquid inside the transparent glass. The second bottle, I didn't know what would happen to me later. I had another thing to tell Aerith later.

I took off the lid and drank the silvery liquid. It was tasteless, but grainy. I felt something cold run down my throat. The second after the last drop was drunk, the once cold liquid burnt. My throat was burning. It was painful. I felt like throwing up. I was coughing. My stomach hurt. I cringed and covered my mouth, afraid that I would throw up all of my stomach contents. Nothing came. My coughs became harder and more painful. My breath was irregular. I inhaled as much as I could, as if the oxygen would be gone, but the pain stayed. I grabbed a handful of overgrown grasses that grew under the tree beside me, pulling them out as if by doing so would reduce the pain. My head throbbed loudly in my ears. I couldn't hold it anymore. I was so sure that I would pass out, but I didn't. The pain receded and I was shaking uncontrollably. I moved the hand that I used to cover my mouth. My palm was wet with a black and slightly silvery tinted liquid. It didn't take a genius to figure it out. I coughed up blood and the silvery tint must have been the liquid. I looked around, but found no water source to wash my hand, so I took the grasses I had pulled up and wiped the blood. I couldn't cleanly wipe all the blood, but it was enough. I could always lie and say that I scratched it on a stone if someone found out. I threw the grasses away and walked toward the camp. I didn't know that the grasses that I used to wipe the blood had rotted. The once green leaves turned to a yellowish brown and finally dispersed into dust.

---

"Oh hi Cloud, I'm done cooking. You wanna eat now?" Aerith was the first to see me. I nodded and she passed me a plate. I scanned the area around the fire and found Tifa waving at me. I waved back and she made a sign for me to sit beside her. I walked and sat beside her. Across from her was Barret. As usual, not that I ever mentioned it, he had an extreme appetite, and beside Barret was Zack.

"Where'd ya go, Chocobo head?" asked the raven-haired man. He looked like he was having an eating contest with Barret, seeing the amount of food they had consumed. Zack was an unexpectedly big eater.

"Nearby, a night stroll," I replied and began to eat the food. It was nice. I always loved Aerith's cooking. Her cooking, well, was the best while Tifa's was the second best. My cooking could be considered normal. The worst cooks would be Zack and Barret. They always wasted the food, burned them to charcoal, but they were very good in combat.

I was enjoying the food when I stopped suddenly. In a split second, I tasted nothing. Everything in my mouth, the spicy and sweet taste of the food, turned tasteless. I could feel the food, but I couldn't taste it. My mind raced. Was it another side effect of the poison or was it just my imagination? I hoped it was the second, but fate seemed to hate me. I ate another spoonful, but again, I tasted nothing. All of the sudden, I lost my appetite. Despite the hunger I felt, I was in no mood to continue eating. I put aside the plate and rose to my feet. I passed the plate to Aerith after throwing away the unfinished food. All of their eyes were fixed on me. They had stopped eating. They were waiting for anything, someone, to break the silence I had made suddenly.

"Was my cooking…bad?" I felt bad for throwing away her cooking, but just seeing the food made me want to vomit. It was not intentional. I never purposely threw the food away; it was my subconscious at work.

I became restless. I was speechless. "It…it's not that…it's just…I…I'm so sorry Aerith…" I tried to explain, but I couldn't make up a logical excuse. Uneasiness crept up to my heart and it must have shown on my face because, after seeing my expression, Aerith's gesture became serious. It was a good thing I showed my back to the others. Aerith nodded to me and made a sign for me to follow her. I did as she told and left the others still full of questions.

---

**Zack's PoV**

I was surprised when Cloud suddenly stopped eating. I had been focusing my senses on him. He had been very weird lately. When he stopped, I took a quick glance at him. His facial expression showed that he was panicking. I didn't know what made him like that. I was about to ask when he suddenly stood and threw away the food. All of us were flabbergasted. Cloud never ate as much as Barret or I, but he was not one to throw away food. We knew this much and were thus shocked by the action. Then he and Aerith went away together, leaving us puzzled by everything.

For a minute, there was silence. Then Barret finally spoke, "If he doesn't want the food, he could give it to me!"

"Cloud…he has been so weird lately. He spaces out a lot and sometimes looks very sad…" Tifa was right. I noticed that, but that didn't explain why he became like that. Cloud was not a very sociable person, but he often smiled when he was with me. Lately, he always tried to avoid me. I tried to make him speak, but his pained look made me unable to ask more. When our eyes finally met, which was RARE, he did smile, but that smile was so fake, so cold. He put on the mask like he used to, but somehow his eyes betrayed him. I knew he wanted to scream. He wanted to tell someone about his pain, but was unable to.

That night, the three of us spent dinner silently while waiting for the two who never came back. None of us dared to talk anymore after Tifa. We all knew Cloud was hiding something, but were unable to ask why. Barret could care less about whatever he was hiding, Tifa was afraid to ask and me, I promised myself to believe in him. Believe that he would tell me someday. Then, when the moon shone high, we went to our own tents, Tifa with Aerith, Barret had the night shift, and Cloud was with me. When I entered the leather hut, Cloud was lying on his own cushion. His breathing was even, eyes closed in sleep. His back faced me. I couldn't tell whether he was really asleep or not.

"Cloud, are you asleep?" No answer. I sighed. He was definitely pretending. I knew Cloud was a light sleeper. He was always the first to wake up and the last to sleep ever since we had lived together in Midgar. He even had super sensitive hearing. He had definitely heard my call. Ignoring the fact that he pretended to sleep, I continued, "You are so…different lately. I don't know what has happened to you, but just to remind you, I will be more than willing to hear and help you. You know that, don't you Cloud?" More silence. "I won't force you to tell me, but it really bothers me, so I hope you will tell me soon. Good night, Cloud."

I rolled to my side. I closed my eyes, emptied my mind, forced my restless brain to stop thinking, and entered the dream world. On the other side, the sleeping boy was still motionless and silent. Unnoticed by me, a transparent, crystal-like water drop rolled from his closed eyes and made a path from his pale cheek down to the cushion, ending the long night.

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Next chapter will be a sad one, at least I tried to make it sad...haha. Surprisingly, there are a lot of people out there who loved angsty stories. I'm surprised, but happy. Anyway, please review! Author needs fertilizer called REVIEW to survive ;D


	14. Break Apart

**Disclaimer: **If I owned FF7, I will make Zack loved Cloud!

**Summary: **Zack was dead, but Cloud did something to revive Zack. Story set after Crisis Core.

**WARNING!! THIS STORY CONTAINS YAOI, SHOUNEN-AI, BXB RELATIONSHIP, WHATEVER YOU CALL IT! IF YOU FEEL OFFENDED, PLEASE PUSH THE BACK BUTTON OF YOUR INTERNET BROWSER. IF YOU DO NOT MIND (hopefully) PLEASE CONTINUE TO READ! **

**Pairing:** CloudxZack (at first, Cloud one-sided, depends on how I wanted the story to go, they might become lover ;3), ZackxAerith, TifaxCloud (Tifa one-seided. Oh yeah, Tifa always had crush on Cloud)

**A/N: **I do not own a PSP so I do not play Crisis Core (I plan on buying it though), but from a lot of fictions I have read, I assume I have sufficient knowledge of the story. If you happen to find anything wrong, please be kind and inform me.

**This is an edited version. Many thanks to my wonderful betas for correcting the mistakes and improving it. **

Thank you so much to all reader who read, review, and add this story to their story/fav alert. And just a short notification, I won't be updating the story for a while since I'm having a big battle for my future this and next month, so please be patient. Thank you!

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**Story 13: Break Apart**

**Cloud's Pov**

Morning came and it was the new start of hellish day. Lately everything had been very chaotic. Everything; every event happened so quickly that I felt like my life was slipping away faster. I told Aerith what had happened at the night when I drank the second bottle. I told her why I suddenly threw away the food. She listened to me attentively without asking anything and I thanked her for that. She nodded respectively. When I ended the story, she was silent. She frowned, her mind trying to absorb the information. She didn't give any particular advice to me, only reminded me to update her with my condition. Before we parted, I told her about the sudden appearance of my other personality and, of course, I told her to stop me if something ever happened. She smiled and said, "I won't let anything happen to you. I will definitely find a way to save you." I appreciated the thought, but no one could save me. Not even Minerva herself.

Then I remembered Zack's words. He must have felt uncomfortable with the situation. Sadly, I realized that my presence was just a hindrance to his emotions. My situation led me to my own uneasiness and affected the others. Of course it was not intentional, but I was still at fault. Maybe it was best for me to proceed alone.

My eyes fluttered open. I stared at the leather wall of the tent. The fabric was old and torn, but it kept us warm night after night. It was amazing how such a torn piece of cloth could shelter us from the cold. I looked around the cramped room. There was nothing much, only bags, clothes, pants, and, of course, swords. My eyes wandered around the place aimlessly until my sight fell on the still sleeping figure not so far beside me. His face was peaceful. His broad chest fell and rose as he breathed constantly. He was the one I'd given my life. I didn't know when, but I had realized I had already fallen in love with him. I wouldn't dare to confess. I wouldn't want to ruin our friendship and besides, he already had a very kind girlfriend, Aerith.

I groaned when I realized that my body hurt like hell. How I hated Minerva and her plan. Yet, I felt thankful to her for granting my selfish wish. I pushed myself to a sitting position with difficulty. My head was heavy and my limbs sore. Surely today would be another hell for me.

---

We were walking past the plains and finally a tower like building with a big bird on top of it came into sight. We finally reached Fort Condor. I was excited despite my complaining body. At the very least, we wouldn't have to sleep on a hard surface for a few nights.

"Finally! I've had enough of camping!" well, it seemed like Barret had the same thoughts. Certainly this few weeks had been hard. We were all tired. Food was never really a problem since we could hunt for animals, but the rain and cold was a completely different story.

"Yes, I could use a warm bath," Tifa added. I grinned secretly. Everybody looked so happy. It was a good sight. But somehow something felt wrong. The journey from the camp to the fort was quite long, and it was more quiet than usual. My eyes landed on Zack. Yes, Zack was not his cheerful self. He was the team's mood maker. He brightened the journey with his jokes and cheerfulness. But after the talk that night, he was so quiet that it was suffocating.

"What is it, chocobo-head?" Zack suddenly broke my thoughts. He noticed that I was staring, eyes fixed on him, but mind wandering in my own world.

I shook my head. "Nah, nothing, you just seemed quiet. Are you okay?" In a split second I thought I saw his eyes twitch, but it might have just been my imagination because his trademark grin adorned his face.

"Are you saying…" he ruffled my hair playfully, making the messy golden spikes even messier, "…I'm too talkative?"

I laughed and pushed his hand away before he made my hair messy beyond repair. "Maybe, yes."

Pouting, he poked my forehead and then laughed. I always loved his laugh. So kind, so warm and bright; he was the one reason I stayed in SOLDIER despite the bullies and sadness I experienced each passing day. I had my hopes up each time I thought about meeting him. Just talking with him proved to be a greater medicine for my heart than anything else.

"Are you from AVALANCHE?" asked a big muscular man. His head was almost bald. His eyes were tired and face looked older than his actual age.

"Ya, sure we are," replied Barret. He shook the man's hand and the muscular man showed us inside. Later, we learned his name was James and he was the leader of the fort. We spent a few days exploring the fort. There was nothing much inside. There was a room for sleeping, a room for supplies, a meeting room, and a watch room or tower or window…whatever. I got the feeling that we were exploring a mole's nest or ant's maybe and it smelled like dirt everywhere. There was not much for me to complain about, but Tifa and Barret seemed to hate it so much. They got irritated every time that it began to annoy me.

"When will they attack? I really REALLY want to get out from this hole!" Tifa was practically screaming while Barret sat in the corner, sobbing and mumbling about missing Marlene. I sort of understood their feelings though. We had been here for a few days, but not even a single head of Shin-Ra's goons came. Tifa was excited at first when she thought she could have a warm bath and a fluffy bed, but, sadly, in this place water was precious and the bed was as fluffy as a rock. Barret's complaint was that he expected a lot of food to be served before him, but unfortunately this place spent almost everything on hiring AVALANCHE to protect the bird. This meant that they were running out of funds and were broke and had to carefully use everything. Zack on the other hand, didn't seem disturbed with the situation. He never complained about the food or bed or water, but he always seemed to be lost in thought. I tried to speak to him, but he always replied with "I'm okay". I was sure that was not the truth, so I kind of forced him to tell me. I did that a few times and he reached his limit. He told me that Aerith and my secrecy bothered him. I could only look at my feet. I couldn't answer him and then he would walk away hard faced and the situation grew worse. Aerith noticed that and tried to break the ice, but Zack pushed her away. Our relationship become more and more awkward as the time passed and finally, we almost never spoke.

"Zack," I called to him when I saw the older man walk out from the guest room. He stopped when he heard me, but made no movement to approach me like he usually did. He neither smiled nor looked back at me. I approached him instead and tried to explain and make him understand that there was nothing between Aerith and me. "Stop ignoring us. You know neither of us will betray you."

"Then tell me," he snapped. "If there's nothing going on then why won't you tell me the truth now?" his voice was demanding. He wanted answers that I couldn't give.

I evaded his stare. My voice was shaking. "I…I can't now, but I will. I know I will eventually. So please," I looked up to his eyes, hoping that he would understand, but I met an icy glare and my words stuck in my throat. I tried so hard to make sentences but nothing came. Suddenly, I heard a warning cry. I looked at Zack. He nodded and both of us ran to the watch tower.

"They're here…" With our enhanced eyes, we could see without a magnifier. From the far horizon we saw soldiers, hundreds of them.

"I'll inform the others," I rushed off the stairs to find the other members. They were not hard to find. They heard the warning and were gathering in the meeting room. They were nervous and anxious, especially the fort defenders. The number difference was too great. They hired soldiers, but obviously not enough. Some of them exchanged worried looks and wondered if they must fight a losing battle.

"What's the strategy?" Zack finally came down from the tower and walked into the meeting room. All of them were uncertain, of course, except our members. We knew very well each of us could take about a hundred of lowly Shin-Ra soldiers.

"No strategy just beat any Shin-Ra heads you find!" A very likely strategy from our simple-minded leader. I think Zack is more suitable as a leader than Barret. At least Zack wouldn't use that strategy to fight enemies of hundreds. Even for us, that was a suicide plan.

"Ignore the simpleton, here is the plan," Tifa took a pen and paper and then began drawing our current location. "Here's the fort and they came from here," she pointed to both locations and drew circles around the fort. "Our main offense will be Barret, Cloud, and Zack," she crossed the front line circles she previously drew and continued. "And then, James and I will take some soldiers to guard the middle as back-up for the three of them."

"Wait," James interrupted. "Only the three of them?!"

"Barret excluded, believe me, the two of them are enough to reduce half of them," Tifa explained and Barret scowled, feeling insulted. "No offense, but you know as much as I do about what they can do. I'm not saying that you're weak. It's just the two of them are in a _completely different _level."

I could feel all eyes watching us in doubt. It was an expected reaction. I was not so sure about my own ability and how many I could handle, but Zack was an ex first class SOLDIER and he killed hundreds of them when we ran away. Although in the end he lost his life. I felt a shiver ran down my spine. I didn't want to think about that day again. The painful feelings and emotions I felt when I lost him were unbearable, even now.

"Continuing the strategy, Aerith and the rest will guard the rear," the brunette stopped temporarily, waiting for questions. When none come, she continued, "If there are no questions, please prepare yourselves and be in position immediately." And with that, the meeting was dismissed and everybody was busy preparing armor, healing items, and necessary equipment. In the chaotic situation before a big war, I forgot the whole Zack problem and time quickly flew by.

---

Hours passed and the armies drew closer. The sun had gone and was replaced by the moon. In the darkness, all of us anxiously waited for the arrival of the armies. Then my ears picked up footsteps and I bet Zack's did too. We readied our weapons and signaled the others to prepare. When they were close enough, Zack and I dashed to the swarm of enemies, slashing every human we saw while Barret tried to stop anyone we missed. Under the moon, we danced the dance of death. We swung our swords through flesh and bone. We killed many, many humans. Slightly but surely, I felt a pang of guilt inside of my heart.

"Cloud! Behind!" I heard Zack scream, but I turned back in time. I slashed my attacker and his blood splattered all over my face and body. The coppery smell of blood was so thick that it made me want to throw up everything inside my stomach.

_Reunion…_

I stopped. It was _his _voice. I felt something inside my body surging out and then I blacked out.

---

I opened my eyes and I was back inside the blurry darkness where I met the other me. But this time, there was no one except myself and I could see my friends fighting. It was like watching a video. I felt a surge of familiar emotion. It was raw and bizarre. It was the feeling of excitement I had before when I saw the dead serpent. The joy of seeing death and blood in my hand rose. Then I felt fear. I knew what would happen soon. _He _had taken control of my body and I couldn't do anything.

I watched in horror as I killed the soldiers mercilessly. Blood splattered everywhere. My hands, sword, face, body, and even my soul were dyed red with blood and sin. I could hear _his_ joyous laughter as he slaughtered more and more bodies. I lost control of myself. I couldn't watch the scene anymore. I closed my eyes tightly, hoping that when I opened them again, someone would tell me that all of this was a nightmare. _His_ voice, _his_ laugh echoing endlessly in this depth of darkness and I fell even deeper into the abyss of death.

**Zack's PoV**

Waves of soldiers appeared endlessly from afar. I focused all my senses to the enemies in front of me and comrades behind me, but especially at the blonde boy not too far beside me. He focused all his attention and prepared his sword. I knew now was not the time to think of my own personal problem, but I couldn't help this uneasy feeling about the boy. It was as if he had done something very bad. I didn't know what, but I hated the feeling. I felt insecure about the situation and couldn't help being so harsh and cold to him. I broke my own resolution not to ask further and wait for him to tell me. Something bothered me and I knew Cloud had the answer.

I shook my head and tried to keep my focus on the enemies. When they were close enough, without signal, both Cloud and I dashed to the swarm of enemies and began to reduce their numbers. Surely enough, after I didn't know how long I'd been dodging and slashing, the number reduced greatly. I searched for the blonde boy who was now separated quite far. He seemed distracted and hesitated. Then I saw an enemy dashing from behind the boy, prepared to strike his sword to the blonde.

"Cloud! Behind!" I screamed to warn him. I'm glad I warned him in time. He swirled back and struck his sudden attacker in his heart. Blood gushed down from his sword to his hand and splattered to his face and body. The blonde boy stopped moving and more enemies lunged toward him. I dashed to him, hoping that I would reach him in time. Halfway toward him, I saw he finally moved. He raised his sword and slashed the first few front row enemies. Then he continuously slashed more and more bodies like he was possessed by something. In just a few moments, almost all of them were killed. Some of them ran to the fort just to be killed by Barret, Tifa, and James, while the rest ran away. I froze. I couldn't take my eyes off the blond boy. In my horror, I watched him stab the already dead soldiers again and again. I was unable to speak or move. I was horrified. Cloud was a shy and kind boy. He got bullied a lot, but he never once thought of taking revenge. He wasn't the kind of person I saw right in front of me right now. The current Cloud was merciless, evil and strange.

"Zack," He noticed me and walked closer. With hands still red from blood, he reached for my cheek. A shiver ran down my spine when his icy cold finger touched my skin.

"Who…are you?" He was not Cloud. The Cloud I knew was not some kind of cold-blooded person. Cloud was warm and kind, but this Cloud was dark and cruel.

"What are you talking about?" he smirked. "I am Cloud."

"No you are not," He was not. He couldn't be.

"Yes I am." His finger ran down to my neck and to the back of my head. "I am Cloud. I always am and always be." He pulled my head and in that moment, his lips touched mine. The kiss was cold and passionless. My eyes widened in surprise. I was taken aback by the kiss. Feeling my surprise, he smirked, "Remember my words," he whispered, "Reunion will be held in the place of beginning." And then the boy fell unconscious in my arms.

---

**Cloud's PoV**

When I woke up, the battle had ended. The bird was protected and safe. I didn't remember what happened after I blacked out. I was sure my other personality resurfaced and had taken control of my body. I remembered seeing him slaughter Shin-Ra's soldiers, but after that I couldn't remember.

"Are you okay?" I looked to my side. It was Zack. He sat on the bed beside mine. His blue eyes searched mine for something. I didn't know what, but I had a feeling _he _must've done something.

"I'm fine," I hesitated to ask, but I had to. I must know what _he _did after gaining control of my body. "Did I do something…weird?"

"What do you mean by that?" his answer was hard and demanding. I realized immediately that _he _really did something.

"Weird, unusual, or anything similar. Please just tell me what happened!"

"Not until you tell me the truth. You've been weird lately and yesterday…" he stopped and stared at me, eyes cold.

"What did I do yesterday? Please, tell me! Please, Zack!" I pushed away the blanket covering my body and sat to face him.

"Just tell me whatever you've kept a secret with Aerith, and I will tell you about yesterday," I held my breath. Must I tell him the truth? No, I mustn't.

Sighing, he finally decided to tell me, "You were not you. You were different and weird."

"Did I do something to you?"

He shook his head weakly and continued, "No, but you killed those soldiers mercilessly."

"I see," I sighed in relief knowing that I didn't do anything to Zack. It didn't bother me that I killed all of the enemies since we were meant to kill them, but if next time he came out, I couldn't control him and prevent him from hurting my friends. I couldn't allow that to happen. "Zack, I think I need rest."

"You won't tell me anything. Am I so untrustworthy?"

"That's not it. I need time."

"Time? I've given you time and you never tell me a thing! All you've given me is more questions and problems!"

I was speechless. He was angry and disappointed in me. It was true that I gave him nothing but problems lately and in the future, I would cause him more problems than I could handle. "I'm…sorry…"

"I don't want your sorry. I want answers, Cloud!"

Zack lost his composure. I'd cause him trouble again. Zack had never been so angry like this before. It was entirely my fault. I didn't know what else to say except sorry, so I repeated the words again and again until finally Zack left the room.

_Just tell him everything_

"Shut up!"

_It's okay to keep secrets_

"Just…shut the hell up!"

_Zack didn't tell you the whole truth_

"Your words are lies!"

_I do not lie. I did something to Zack but he didn't tell you. He must feel disgusted at you right now._

"No…what did you do?"

_Something you would never ever do_

And then I cried silently in my room for the rest of that night. My world crumbled and destroyed in front of me, but I couldn't prevent it. Everything precious to me was taken away. My only light hated me. Then tell me, what else do I have?

_You have me_

"I don't need you."

_Reunion and the place of beginning. _

"What…?"

I called _him _over and over again but there was no reply. I heard his last sentences. The place of beginning, I needed to go there. I must go to Nibelheim. Reunion must be fulfilled and I could disappear afterward.

"The place of beginning, Nibelheim…" My hometown; that was the place where everything started. That was the place where I lost my mother and home. This time I wouldn't lose anything. I will walk this path alone. I took the branch I took before from my pocket. I looked at it for the last time before putting it under my pillow. I couldn't throw it away so I'll let people from the fort throw it away. It was the sign of my resolution to sacrifice my everything.

I took a few healing and attack material, also potions. This time, I couldn't depend on others to help me. I must go on with my own strength. I took the map and clarified my route. I must go to Junon first, and then reach Costa Del Sol. From there, I could reach Nibelheim. After memorizing the route, I glanced at the door, hoping I could tell Aerith more and see Zack for the last time.

"Then, this is a goodbye, Zack, Aerith, Tifa, Barret. It has been a very fun journey. Thank you." Then I whispered the last goodbye to my most important person. "Good bye, Zack, I love you." I knew he was not there to hear, but I still hoped that he would. With that I take my leave. I exited the door to the entrance guarded by the Fort's personnel. I heard my friends' voices from the shop. Fortunately they held a small party after victory. That helped me to go from this place without them knowing. I reached the entrance and was greeted by the sun that shone so brightly and blinding my eyes. I looked back for the last time and walked away to Junon.

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Though I say I won't update for a while, I won't abandon the story =D

The next chapter Cloud won't be so emo (I've tortured him enough...I think...)

Well, review review review please!


	15. Your Biggest Strength

**Disclaimer: **If I owned FF7, I will make Zack loved Cloud!

**Summary: **Zack was dead, but Cloud did something to revive Zack. Story set after Crisis Core.

**WARNING!! THIS STORY CONTAINS YAOI, SHOUNEN-AI, BXB RELATIONSHIP, WHATEVER YOU CALL IT! IF YOU FEEL OFFENDED, PLEASE PUSH THE BACK BUTTON OF YOUR INTERNET BROWSER. IF YOU DO NOT MIND (hopefully) PLEASE CONTINUE TO READ! **

**Pairing:** CloudxZack (at first, Cloud one-sided, depends on how I wanted the story to go, they might become lover ;3), ZackxAerith, TifaxCloud (Tifa one-seided. Oh yeah, Tifa always had crush on Cloud)

**A/N: **I do not own a PSP so I do not play Crisis Core (I plan on buying it though), but from a lot of fictions I have read, I assume I have sufficient knowledge of the story. If you happen to find anything wrong, please be kind and inform me.

**This is an edited version. Many thanks to my wonderful beta for correcting it.**

I know I haven't uploaded for such a long time and I am very terribly sorry for that. I had final exam & after it passed, both my PC & laptop were broken. And now, thankfully, I had my PC back & it's holiday so I can write more often.

Anyway, I know it's very late for saying this but I'm sorry for my amateur writing & please bear with it. I will try to improve so please give me your opinion & advice.

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**Story 14: Your Biggest Strength**

**Cloud's pov**

Lately, I had been thinking about justice, about what is right and wrong. Am I doing the right thing? I kept asking myself the question. Doubt in my heart grew stronger as my journey to Junon almost came to an end. Was it the right thing to revive Zack? I wanted him to be safe and happy, but did I do it right? What is right and wrong? What gave me the right to judge? What gave Sephiroth the right to kill? I used to tell myself that by killing Sephiroth I had done a good deed, justice. But then, was he really wrong? Was I the correct one? Then what is justice? Questions kept piling higher in my mind without a single answer.

Sun went down, replaced by moon that slowly soared up to the night sky. Day passed by so quickly and from afar, I finally saw the town. I almost reached Junon, but I still had no answers to my questions. I stopped walking and rest my back on the nearest tree. I pushed aside all unanswered questions and closed my eyes, intending to rest until morning came and I could continue my journey, but a slight movement alerted me. I didn't open my eyes, but I trained my hearing and instinct to the person who tried to sneak up on me. I was quite sure it was human because if it was a monster, it wouldn't bother to hide its presence.

When I felt the person already beside me, I opened my eyes and grabbed my sword. I threw the hilt to him and it knocked him in the head. I took chance of the confusion and swiftly reached out to both of his wrists and pinned him down.

"Ouch, ouch, get off me, you jerk!"

I was startled. It was a girl's voice…or was it a guy with a girl voice? I lowered my body, tilting my head slightly to have a better look at my attacker. I was attacked by a young girl! Short hair, bandana, ninja-like appearance, she's definitely a wutainese.

"What do you want?" I asked the suspicious girl.

The girl didn't answer my question. I didn't know how, but she threw a smoke bomb at me. I was too late to cover my mouth and nose. The smoke entered my respiratory system and I coughed so hard that I almost cried. Quickly, I ran to the area without smoke and calmed myself down.

"That's what you get for laying your hand on me, pervert!" the black haired girl snickered. Her hand was crossed and she spoke with an arrogant, bossy tone.

"Who…" I coughed, "Who's the pervert here?" I coughed again. "It was you who attacked me first!"

"Stop your yappin' and hand me your materia now or you'll get another Yuffie special smoke blast!"

Slowly, my breathing had returned to normal. My stomach was hurting from coughing too much. "Think again," I breathed in and out several times until I was sure I wouldn't start coughing again. "You're an idiot if you think I will cheerily hand you my materia."

"Then prepare for another Yuffie special smoke blast!" she reached out to her back pocket and threw the smoke bombs to me. Unlike the previous attack, I was quite prepared now so evading them was easy. I made a run to the left and stopped right behind her. I took out my sword and knocked her head with the hilt.

"Ouch! Stop hitting my head you insolent brat!" she turned behind, but I was too fast for her. I evaded her incoming kick and jumped to her back again.

I knocked her head again, but this time softer. "You're the brat! You know what, if this is a real fight, I would have killed you several times now."

The girl didn't turn back. Her shoulders were shaking and I heard soft sobs from her. Honestly, it made me feel guilty as hell. I just made a girl cry.

"Sigh…I'm sorry, just don't cry anymore." I patted her head softly. "I'll give you one of my materia later."

"If…" She replied between her sobs. "If you really feel bad, you'll give me all." She turned to face me. Her face was pleading and her eyes were exactly like Zack's puppy eyes. I sighed again. It was a good thing Zack often did this. I knew the purpose of that face was to make whoever saw it feel sympathy and give the puppy anything they wanted. But I wouldn't fall into that trap.

"Drop the act or I will give you nothing," I threaten. My eyes were sharp and serious.

"Okay, fine. Just gimme already!" she stopped crying. As I thought, fake tears, crocodile tears.

I searched my pocket and drew an All materia. I threw the ball to the girl. "It's a master level All materia. It'll fetch quite a price."

The girl caught the materia. She inspected the ball before putting it into her own pocket. "The name's Yuffie. Kisaragi Yuffie." She offered her hand. For a moment I was suspicious by the sudden change of heart. "I won't try to rob you anymore, promise."

I nodded and then shook her hand. "Cloud Strife."

"What are you doing here alone, Cloud?" She asked curiously. She took a seat near the tree I was sitting under before. Following her, I returned to where I was sitting before.

"Trying to get to Junon. What about you?"

She shrugged and drew a piece of bread and ate it. "Going around, collecting materia."

"Why do you need materia so much?"

"Personal reason," she drew another bread and threw it to me. I didn't eat it, afraid that she might add something to the bread. "Someone you're going to meet at Junon?"

"No," I shook my head slowly. I drew my own piece of bread from my bag and ate it. "I'm going to Nibelheim."

"I'm not interested why you wanted to go to the backwater village, but just for the sake of asking, why Nibelheim?"

"It's my hometown." I answered shortly.

The girl seemed to ignore my lack of answer and continue her questions. "Oh, going back to mommy?"

"She passed away long time ago." I said with a stoic face.

"…sorry." She was silent for a while before apologizing. Judging from the expression on her face, I bet that she felt guilty for rudely asking about that.

"Don't be. It was in the past." I didn't know what she'd think when she heard my answer, but her death was a long time ago. The sadness had long gone.

"Do you have other family? Your father maybe?"

I shook my head. I was alone, always and maybe forever. "No. I had no one."

"Then why go back there?"

I was wondering to myself. Why was I talking so openly to a stranger? "Because that was where everything started."

"Everything? What do you mean?" she was done eating and now she looked at me with a big question mark on her face.

I swallowed my own last piece of bread. "Everything about me started from that place. I'm going to settle my unfinished business."

The chance of winning against Sephiroth was small, almost to none. I knew that fighting him would mean my death. Maybe that was why I could tell this stranger about this. I wanted someone to remember me even if it was someone I didn't know.

"Okay, whatever, I'm going to sleep." After saying that, she rested her tired body on the cold bed of grasses. Her snoring was soft, almost unheard. I decided to rest my body too. I closed my eyes but stayed alert to any movement.

--------------

Time passed and dawn drew near. A string of gold appeared from the eastern sky. A new day had begun. I woke up from my rest and prepared myself to continue my journey. Before I set out, I took out another materia, a master level Fire materia. I put it beside the sleeping girl. "It's not much, but think of it as a gift. Thank you for accompanying me, although short, but it was nice talking to you."

I left the girl and walked toward Junon. I still hadn't gotten the answers for my questions, but that did not matter. It's fine if I was wrong. I believed in my own justice just as Sephiroth and Zack believed in theirs.

---------------

**Zack's pov**

"Are you sure Cloud is heading to Junon, Zack?" asked Tifa.

In all honesty, being thrown with the same question over and over again for a few days really pissed me off. Surely, I had no proof he went to Junon, but I believed my instincts. Besides, in this area, unless Cloud wanted to go back to Midgar through the creepy swamp with gigantic snakes, he would only go to Junon.

"Please, stop asking that question. He will definitely go there, okay!"

"Yer instinct again, eh spiky?" Again with the same routine, Tifa would doubt, I would answer, Barret would add the oil to the flame, and Aerith would be the one to stop us.

Surely enough, Aerith stopped us. "Guys, please, just believe in Zack for now. We had no lead and trusting him is the only way we had."

We had this conversation over and over again after Cloud's disappearance. At first, we thought he went for a stroll and would be back soon, but night came and he didn't appear. Tifa panicked and I knew why. The girl had a crush on Cloud for I didn't know how long and she was worried sick. Barret believed Cloud could take care of himself. I believed so too, but apparently Tifa insisted on searching for him. Aerith would follow whatever decision we took. Since we had nowhere to go, we decided to search for Cloud.

They were wondering why the blonde suddenly disappeared and I had the answer. He left because of me. I said all those horrible things to him and now he was gone. I could neither apologize to the boy nor tell the group the real reason of his disappearance. Somehow I felt that Aerith had slight knowledge of the situation. She never asked me and she even told me something before we left. "You should try to understand him better, Zack. He is in pain." After that, she never said anything about the blonde boy. She knew about him more than I did.

The rest of the journey went on in silence. We almost reached Junon, but we saw nothing that could lead us to the boy and I began to wonder whether my instincts were correct. Suddenly, we saw someone, a girl that I found strangely familiar.

"Treasure princess brat?" I called, making sure she was the person I met before.

"Geez, not another spike!"

-------------

**Cloud's pov**

After separating with Yuffie, the rest of the travel was dull. I had no one to talk to, but I reached the destination earlier than I first expected. The town was busy. It was always busy as long as I remembered. I didn't go out much, but I had visited the place a few times on missions. I walked around, searching for the harbor.

"So…it's Costa Del Sol then…"

I bought a ship ticket that would depart in just a few hours. It was better for me to go immediately before Zack and the rest realized I was gone and tried to catch up with me.

"Heh…I bet they are already on their way here…"

The thought that all of them would come to find me made my heart warm. I was not all alone after all. Those were my true feelings. However, I still didn't want them to get involved in this dangerous problem of mine.

"I should buy some potions and food for later…"

And with that, I went to the nearby shops and refilled my nearly empty provisions while waiting for the ship to depart.

--------------

**Zack's pov**

"You're…Yuffie, right, the brat who sent junk email to my phone and tried to steal my treasures?"

"Yep, but hey, I'm not a brat!" she pouted. "What's with both of you spikes…stop acting like you're some kind of high and mighty adult."

"Both? What do you mean?" asked Aerith kindly. "Did you meet another man with spiky hair like that scary guy over there?"

The ninja nodded lazily. I'd rather not to get involved with her too much but we finally got the clue about the blonde and that meant my intuition was right. Junon was a few miles left and if Yuffie-brat met him, he should be in Junon now.

"What did he look like? Hair color, clothes, eye color, anything, please tell us." Tifa inquired further.

Yuffie seemed to think for a while before answering. She seemed suspicious of us, but later decided to believe us and tell us about the blonde. "Blond hair and blue eyes, if you are looking for him then you should hurry up before he's gone."

"Chocobo head alright. Where'd he go?" Barret continued with the questions.

"Definitely Junon. Did he tell you anything?" it was weird that Cloud would be so honest to a stranger like Yuffie. Cloud was more of a passive and reserved kind of man. He rarely opened up to someone unless it was a person he trusted.

"Are you his friends?" the ninja asked again.

"Yep. We're good friends. Now tell me, did he tell you anything?"

"….he's going to Nibelheim. At least that's what he told me yesterday."

"Nibelheim? Why?" Tifa asked curiously. Cloud and she were childhood friends and both of them are from Nibelheim. I visited the place once on my last mission as a SOLDIER. I went there with Cloud and Sephiroth.

"He said about a place where everything about him began and he is going to settle his unfinished business or whatever."

"Place of beginning…" I whispered unconsciously as I remembered back to black Cloud's words.

"Do you know anything, Zack?" asked Aerith.

I nodded. I intended to leave it as a mystery until I got the answers directly from the man, but since I unexpectedly got them here, I guess I should tell them. "Remember our last fight in Fort Condor?" all of them nodded. "Well, Cloud – I mean, black Cloud told me about it."

"Black Cloud?" Barret was confused. He wouldn't understand a thing unless we explained from the beginning. Tifa needed an explanation too from the frown on her face.

"I will explain on the way. For now, let's catch up with him."

"Wait," Yuffie stopped us before we left. "Tell him thanks for me. He gave his materia to me. Thank you for trusting me and…it's good to talk to him too." When she said that, her eyes were sincere. Unlike how her previously full of suspicion stare, it was all gentle now. She must have been lonely. Meeting Cloud and talking to him changed her. Cloud was kind and gentle. His heart was kinder and purer, more than any man I had seen. His kindness changed me and also Yuffie. He always put on a cold and stoic face when others were around, but that was not how he actually felt. That was his biggest strength that I could never have, but he always thought bad about himself. I wish he would just realize it already and come back to us. We – no, I needed him so much and so bad that my heart ached from the pain.

"Why don't you tell him yourself, Yuffie?"

"Huh? I dunno when I can meet him again…"

"I mean, why don't you go with us to find him and then you can tell him yourself."

"Can…can I?"

This girl was lonely. She wanted friends, but she couldn't say so. Her pride was high, but she was a good girl.

"Sure. It's nice to have you in the team," said Aerith.

"The more the merrier," I said at the same time.

"I'm fine with whatever, as long as we can find Cloud soon," was Tifa's response.

"So, let's depart, before we lose him again." Barret said.

And with that, we continued on our way to Junon, bringing along our newest member. However, when we arrived there, it was too late. Cloud was gone, but we knew his destination. And so, our journey continued. We looked for information about him while we made Nibelheim our temporary destination, until we found him.

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Please review~~~~~~although it's shorter than previous chapter, I will try to write a longer one in the next chapter


	16. Breaking Up

**Disclaimer: **If I owned FF7, I will make Zack loved Cloud!

**Summary: **Zack was dead, but Cloud did something to revive Zack. Story set after Crisis Core.

**WARNING!! THIS STORY CONTAINS YAOI, SHOUNEN-AI, BXB RELATIONSHIP, WHATEVER YOU CALL IT! IF YOU FEEL OFFENDED, PLEASE PUSH THE BACK BUTTON OF YOUR INTERNET BROWSER. IF YOU DO NOT MIND (hopefully) PLEASE CONTINUE TO READ! **

**Pairing:** CloudxZack, ZackxAerith, TifaxCloud (Tifa one-sided. Oh yeah, Tifa always had crush on Cloud)

**A/N: **I am terribly sorry. I promised I will update soon, but still late. My beta and I were busy for the last three weeks. I got a job & my beta got assignments and exams. So, to compensate my failure to keep the promise, chapter 17 will be presented sooner. I have finished writing it & my beta is working on it right now, so, I will update it, 'very soon'

As usual, thanks for my wonderful beta, TsumeLover666, for being a very kind beta for me. Thanks for never complaining for my terrible English.

Also, thanks for everyone who has been reviewing, adding this story to their story/fav/author alerts.

Lastly, to everyone: Merry Christmas!

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**Story 15: Breaking up**

**Cloud's pov**

The ship journey from Junon to Costa Del Sol was unexpectedly short. I thought I fell asleep for a few hours and then the loud siren of notification woke me up, announcing that the ship had arrived to the destination. I rose from my temporary bedding to the deck. The sky was clear. Clouds swam free in the endless sea of blue. The ship moved slower and slower as the next town drew nearer. Slow as it might be, I could still feel the salty wind sweep my cheek as the ship rocked gently. I combed my messy hair with my fingers and it was all dry and hard. Giving up the useless effort to fix my hair, I went back inside and packed my things. I practically threw everything inside my magic bag – a bag with a black hole, Zack said. When I was sure I had everything, I grabbed my sword and left the cabin. The ship went even slower, almost at a stop. Costa Del Sol was a few minutes away. I looked back to the direction of Junon, heart aching. I missed him already. _Zack…_

I pushed away that thought about the black haired ex-SOLDIER aside. The last thing I wanted right now was to find myself weeping in regret. Turning away from where Junon was, I turned to look at Costa Del Sol. Its golden coast was sparkling like gold shone by the sun. I looked down to the water. It was clear and blue. The water was rippling together with the ship's movement. Small waves caused by the ship hit the sand. A few minutes passed and the ship stopped, but the waves caused the ship to sway slightly. I balanced myself and left the ship.

The golden, hot sand, scorching sun, and of course…women in bikinis! I chuckled remembering Zack. There was a time in Midgar when he told me about Costa Del Sol and many women worth drooling over, like this very scene before me. I let myself laugh again before walking away to the plaza. There was nothing much to see here. The only attraction in this town was the clear and beautiful beach, and maybe some souvenir shops. I walked around the town, checking out the shops. I went to a materia shop, making sure that I wouldn't need a new materia. When I was done with traveling preparations, I went to the bar. It was never my favorite place yet it was definitely the best place to gather information. It was not my intention to find information, but going to a bar had become some kind of habit for a mercenary like me. You never knew what kind of information you could accidently get in this kind of place.

I chose a seat in the corner, furthest from the door. The plant placed between my chosen seat and other seat hid me away from all watching eyes. Behind my seat was the wall with a small framed window. The frame was made from wood and carved nicely although signs of rotting could be seen on one of the corners. Protected by the brown frame was the transparent glass. The glass was clean without scratches. From the transparent medium, sunlight passed through and lightened this dark corner.

"Order?" asked the waitress. She had dark skin, light brown and wavy hair. Her uniform was light blue with a white apron. It was tight and clearly showed her curvy feature. Oh, how Zack would love this. I smiled. Each time I thought of something like this, Zack somehow came to my mind. The image of a perverted, I mean playboy, fit perfectly to the older man. I laughed to myself, forgetting the waitress who stood in front of me. Strangely enough, I didn't feel any jealously. Zack liked to play around, but he was never serious. Besides the only girl he ever loved was Aerith. The auburn haired girl was the perfect partner for Zack. She could control him from going berserk and chasing the ladies. I laughed again, imagining the scene.

"Sir, your order?" the waitress asked again. She frowned, clearly showing that she was confused or, rather, thought I was crazy.

I covered my mouth with my hand, preventing another laugh from rolling out. "Sorry. Just give me water and sandwiches." The girl wrote the order and nodded to me before she went back to the counter and passed the paper to the chef.

I turned my attention to the activity inside the bar. There were only a few people inside. A few tables from mine sat a short haired girl and her boyfriend. The girl reminded me a little of Yuffie. Her haircut was similar. However, Yuffie was more of a tomboy and she would never ever wear a bikini. Two tables on the girl's right was a bald man with tanned skin. He was alone, uncaring of his environment except the waitress. On the table farthest from mine was a man with a long white coat. He sat with his back facing me, so I didn't know how he looked, but something about the man gave me the chills.

"Enjoy your meal," said the waitress after she put my drink and sandwiches on the table. I diverted my wandering eyes and tried to focus on my lunch, but something kept telling me to leave immediately. My heart was racing for no reason and I just couldn't shake off the bad feeling. Following my instinct, I took a bite of the sandwich and emptied the glass. I searched my pocket, left a few hundred gil on the table and left. Just before I arrived at the door, someone grabbed my right wrist.

"Fancy seeing you here," said the man with the white coat. I didn't turn my head, but his voice sent a chill down my spine. I knew that voice, that creepy, cold voice.

"Hojo…" my voice was shaking, but I concealed it so nice that I doubt he heard it. I couldn't let any hint of fear or anger show, so I put up the cold façade, hoping that I could quickly leave the bar.

The man chuckled, still sounding very creepy and strange to me. "I prefer to be called 'Professor Hojo', Cloud."

I tried my best to ignore the man by not responding, but it seemed like my silent treatment didn't affect him. He pulled my hand and pushed me down in a nearby chair. I knew I made a commitment not to show him my emotion, but my body said otherwise. My knees were weak. Remembering what he did to me and Zack was enough to build my anger. I glared at him, but his scent, the smell of Mako, lingered heavily and made my knees weak.

"You know, I heard a very strange rumor about your dear friend," he started with a whisper. "I heard from a survivor of the team sent to kill both of you, that they successfully killed Zack Fair."

My heart beat faster that I could only pray that this man in front of me wouldn't hear it. He ignored the cool façade I put up and moved his face closer to mine. He whispered again, "yet a report stated that he was well and alive." He stopped before whispering again, but softer and with curious tone. "I wonder how would that happen hmm?" His cold finger reached out to my neck. His bony thumb rubbed the scar left by Minerva as the proof of our contract.

"Ah, the mark of Minerva," he sighed. "The proof that one made a deal with the goddess," his hand rubbed the scar continuously. I froze in my seat, but despite my fear, I unconsciously raised my hand and slapped his. Quickly after that, I collected my composure and bravery left the seat and dashed out of the bar. I was running, I didn't know for how long. My only thought was to get as far away as possible.

I ignored angry remarks from people I hit when I ran. I kept running and running until I saw the exit of town. I slowed down and tried to catch my breath when suddenly someone grabbed me from behind. Surprised by the sudden attack, I dropped my sword and could only struggle to break free, but another person came and injected something into my body. I kept struggling until I finally broke free by kicking one of my attacker's knees. I rolled forward and grabbed the hilt of my sword and readied my stance to attack. Suddenly everything swayed. My vision was blurring. I felt weak. Before my knees touched the ground, I changed my sword's position. The sharp metal was planted firmly in the ground and held my fall.

"Good job, men. Take him away," in the midst of my blurring vision I could still catch some features of my attacker. The same white lab coat I saw previously, glasses, creepy man known as Hojo. I cringed, regretting my own carelessness. I should have known better than to get careless around that freaky professor. He made me his guinea pig once, but I wouldn't let him twice.

I gathered my conscious and strength to fight back, but everything multiplied before my eyes. I couldn't control my body anymore. I fell and before my body hit the ground, one of my attackers, a big muscular man with a black coat, caught my limp body.

"Be a good boy now, Cloudy," the professor's cold finger touched my cheek. Disgusted, I wish I could stab him and bleed him to death, but my body said otherwise. I was unconscious before I realized while his laugh still echoed in my head.

The three of them, plus my unconscious body, walked away from the crowd, into a silent area where they had their Chopper waiting.

Zack's pov

"Oy Spikey, know how to find chocobo head 'ere?" asked Barret when we arrived at Junon. Honestly, I was thinking the same thing.

"Should we try a bar? He might stop there to eat so we can ask around," Tifa suggested.

"No," Aerith frowned. She seemed to be in deep thought before she continued. "Let's go to the harbor."

"Why there? If we're going to find information, it should be the bar." Yuffie was as confused as Barret although Tifa seemed to understand after a second of confusion.

"Because," the Ancient's voice was full of understanding. "Because Cloud wanted to go to Nibelheim as fast as possible. Also, he did not want us to find him," when she saw my protesting face, she interrupted before I could say a word. "Which is why he left without a word. And so, he would try to go as fast as his feet could carry."

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's be quick," the Ninja said. All of us nodded simultaneously.

"But before that," Aerith continued, "Zack, go with Yuffie and ask around the shops."

I was surprised and confused. "But you said…" I started, but before I objected, the Ancient interrupted.

"Yes, I said Cloud might go to the harbor, but that is just a conclusion. He will need to resupply his potions stock so check that shop first, and…" she turned her eyes to Barret and Tifa. "You two, check the Materia shop. Since he gave his Materia to Yuffie, he will most likely buy a new one."

All of us were silent, trying to understand her instructions. When the silence remained, Aerith continued, "If he did not visit any of those shops, I am more than certain he would resupply at Costa Del Sol. Anyway, meet me at the harbor in not more than half an hour."

By the Ancient's instruction, we separated to three places. Half an hour later, we gathered at the harbor and shared the information we could get.

"None," Yuffie shrugged and shook her head.

Barret responded by nodding his bald head. "Same 'ere."

"But I found something," said Aerith. All heads turned toward her, eagerly waiting for a positive answer. "I asked a sailor. He said he saw someone like Cloud got on a ship to Costa Del Sol."

"That means…" Tifa's eyes lit as she caught on the meaning.

"Yes, as we all already know, he's trying to go to Nibelheim," I continued. "Then we should hurry and go."

"I know. That's why I had gone and bought us the tickets," said Aerith. Her hand held five yellow papers – the tickets.

Then the journey to find a certain blond continued. My heart was filled with hope and wishes to meet him. The feeling of missing him was so unbearable. When I met him, I would make sure I gave him a good smack. Also, I had to tell him my true feelings. I refused to acknowledge this feeling before, but losing him for this long had made me realize, I loved him. I always loved him. It was shameful that Aerith had to make me realize this simple but complicated feeling. But now, I knew what I should do. I knew what I should say. When I found him, I promised to myself, I would tell him that I loved him.

_I will give him a good, long scold and make him regret ever leaving me…_

* * *

**Cloud's pov**

Drip…drip…drip…

The sound of liquid falling to a pool of water entered my half-conscious mind.

Drip…drip…drip…

My hands were cold. A rustling sound of a chain mixed with the dripping sound of water troubled my half awake-dream.

Drip…drip…drip…

My wrists hurt by something hard and cold.

Drip…drip…drip…

My left arm stung. The feeling of pain woke me completely from my half-conscious sleep. My eyes were hazy. Everything swayed and I had to swallow several times before the feeling made me throw up. In my blurry and swaying vision, I noticed tables full of familiar glasses of green, grey and red liquid. On the left side of the table was an armless wooden chair. My eyes swam around the room and I found many tubes with green liquid. Inside were monsters, alive or dead, I didn't know. I looked around more and noticed a half broken white door. The wood stood up to many directions, mostly inside. I concluded that someone or something tried to open the door by force from outside.

Drip…drip…drip…

Eyes searching furiously at the annoying sound, my attention turned to the source of the sound, which was my left arm. A long cut was made from my arm somewhere near my elbow to armpit. Red with a slight tint of silver blood ran down my white but quite muscular arm. It stung, but I ignored it and followed the dripping blood to the floor beside my thigh. There was a small white porcelain bowl. Inside the bowl was the pool of blood. I was horrified, scared and sickened.

The sound of a door opening made me jump slightly, and then I noticed that both of my hands were chained to a half oval rusty iron on the wall.

"I see you're awake," said a familiar voice. My head was heavy and I found it very hard to focus, but I forced my eyes to look at the person. I could only see his white lab coat. I ordered my head to look up, but instead I got a protest growl because my neck was weak. The figure walked nearer and squatted. This time, I could see his face, although blurry.

"Y..you…" In a normal condition, I would send my fist flying to his face and make the haughty smile disappear from his face. However, my hands were bound and all energy had left me.

"Be a good boy now," he pulled out a syringe from his lab coat, filling it with a transparent liquid. He walked to my right side, cupped my chin with his free hand and tilted my head left. "and…sleep…my boy…" The sharp needle entered the vein in my neck. The strange sensation made me shiver as the liquid entered my blood system and made me numb.

My head felt heavier, and so did my drowsiness. I tried to fight and stay awake, but the effort was futile. I drifted back into my sleep accompanied by the dripping sound of my own blood. _The lullaby of my death, _I thought to myself. A second after, everything was dark and I was oblivious to the world.

* * *

**Zack's pov**

"Za….Zack…ugh…"

"Yuffie, don't come here if you're going to throw up!" I shouted at the Ninja. We were on the ship to Costa Del Sol. All of us were fine for a short time before Yuffie finally got sea-sickness. Being raised on high land like Wutai means she has never known the light swaying of a ship. "Here, drink that and you'll feel better," I threw a bottle of medicine. She caught it easily with one hand, pulled the cover so fast and drank it all in one gulp.

"Thanks, Zack."

"No prob."

The rest of the journey was uneventful. There was nothing to see, nothing to hear, nothing worth remembering. All of us were absorbed into our own world. A few hours of trip felt like a few days. In those hours, all I could think about was him, Cloud. I thought about how we met, how we became friends, how we spent our time together all this time. Those were the happiest days I had ever had. The longing feeling I had for him grew stronger and stronger, I wished I had wings so I could fly to him. There might be hundreds or even thousands of young blond males in this earth, but I am very sure I could find him. I remembered him inch by inch; his strong but kind eyes, the smile that made me flutter, that lithe body of his, the faint scent of sun whenever he passed me by, his spiky but soft hair, everything, they were printed perfectly in my mind, my heart, and all my senses.

"Were you thinking of him?" Aerith came from the cabin below and joined me at the deck not too far from Yuffie. Her braided hair was swaying lightly, enjoying the ride of wind.

I nodded to her question, but stayed silent. "Zack," her tone was serious. Aerith rarely told jokes and was always serious, but she never gave me that tone unless she was going to tell me something really bad. "I think you must have thought a lot, then, you must have realized your true feelings now," I didn't respond to her statement. Instead, I let her finish whatever she wanted to say. "You must have realized, you're feelings for me are different from your feelings for him."

To that statement, I couldn't stay silent anymore. Guilt was the best description of my feelings right now. I felt like I was toying with her heart all this time. "Aerith, I'm sorry…" apologizing was the only thing I could do. I did not expect forgiveness from her, but it was the least I could do.

"Don't be sorry," smiling gently, she pressed her hands to mine. "Feelings are complicated. Besides, I am happy. Your feelings of love to me were real, however, I was not the someone meant for you. But now, you have found him. You must treasure him, Zack."

"Of course I will."

"Then," she circled her arms around my waist. I hugged her back instinctively. "This is the last for us. After this, you are not Zack Fair, my boyfriend, but Zack Fair, my best friend."

"Yeah," I hugged her tighter. Overflowing emotion was pouring out uncontrollably in our last hug. "Thank you, Aerith."

"Thank you and good bye, Zack."

That was the end of our years long relationship. I still loved her, but now my heart will belong to one and only one person. And this was my journey to find and bring back the blonde who ran after stealing my heart. In the future, unknown to any of us, will bring more pain to us, and the meeting with people I thought I could never meet anymore.

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It's Christmas Eve! I'm a good girl, so be a good Santa, make me happy by reviewing!


	17. Clue

**Disclaimer: **If I owned FF7, I will make Zack loved Cloud!

**Summary: **Zack was dead, but Cloud did something to revive Zack. Story set after Crisis Core.

**WARNING!! THIS STORY CONTAINS YAOI, SHOUNEN-AI, BXB RELATIONSHIP, WHATEVER YOU CALL IT! IF YOU FEEL OFFENDED, PLEASE PUSH THE BACK BUTTON OF YOUR INTERNET BROWSER. IF YOU DO NOT MIND (hopefully) PLEASE CONTINUE TO READ! **

**Pairing:** CloudxZack, ZackxAerith, TifaxCloud (Tifa one-sided. Oh yeah, Tifa always had crush on Cloud)

**A/N: **Here am I again! Like I said, I will update soon! I have done writing the next chapter and my beta is checking it right now, but I won't update until New Year. Why, you ask? That's because I'm going to go on a trip with my cousins!

Usual routine, thanks a bunch to TsumeLover666 for correcting the mistake & being a wonderful beta.

Seirei_Nightlord05: I'm sorry because I forgot to reply your review, so I'm replying it here. Hope you don't mind. First of all, thanks your always reviewing. I have fulfilled my promise, haven't I? I can just hope I can always update fast, but sometimes I just got this writer's block. Well, fortunately, I haven't got any lately!

About Cloud nii-sama, now that you mentioned it, I just realized. Yeah, I 'unconsciously' made him a too-reckless-for-his-own-good character. Oh well, but that's necessary anyway mostly because I'm a sadist bwahhahahahahaha

Given the choice, I would prefer to kill Hojo, but again, since I am a sadist, I need Cloud to get tortured for my sake. But worry not because Zack nii-sama will come for him very soon….but I won't give any obvious spoiler. It'll ruin the fun later.

Okay then, thanks again for your review. Oh yeah, P.S. I don't celebrate Christmas too.

Thanks a bunch for everyone who has been very considerate & kind for reviewing. It took me almost a month to write, you know. But also, thank to those who add this story to their fav/author/story alert.

On to the story then!

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**Story 16: Clue**

**Cloud's pov**

I had forgotten how long I had been captured. I was brought to some sort of basement lab – probably unused judging from the damage, dust and mold in the room. When I was brought here, I was unconscious, so I didn't know which region, which part of the land this place was. On my first awakening, I was greeted by Hojo. We talked – a one sided talk – because he was the only one who did the talking while I was busy glaring daggers at him. He talked about the mark, Minerva, Zack, Sephiroth, practically everything. But for some unknown reason, I remembered nothing; I refused to remember a thing. After that first awakening, he pushed a syringe with a sleeping drug in it into my vein and I was asleep for most of the time. Whenever I would wake, another shot of drug would be injected.

It was so rare for me to wake up and today was one of the rare days. Usually Hojo would come every few hours and inject some sleeping drugs into my system, but today he hadn't come yet. I used every little time in my conscious state to memorize the place and tried to untie my hands. The chain above my head was jingling as I tried to lessen the binds. I tried this every time and always failed. I was unsure where the problem was. My strength was abnormal and breaking free from chains was supposed to be an easy feat, but I never succeeded. It could be the chain was special, or Hojo mixed some sort of drug to make me harmless. I believed it was the latter.

I did my usual ritual. I looked around, tried to memorize the place, the things placed, and noticed every single thing that changed. There were not many changes. The glasses' positions changed, which is obvious; Hojo was using it, and then I noticed the hole on the door was no more because the door itself was gone, or crushed. I noticed a pile of broken wood, remains of the door lying not too far from where it once stood. The room still smelled like mushrooms and the air was damp. The last thing I noticed was the tubes of Mako. There were a lot of those tubes, but the last I remembered, they were empty. And now I noticed that quite a large number of them were not empty anymore. And the content was…monsters.

"What the hell does he want with those?" I counted the specimen and there were twelve of them, which meant there were only three empty tubes, and one with a monster – or creature - I've never seen before, and was Mako free.

The creature inside the tube without Mako looked different from the rest. It was still alive, moving but calm. It was almost as if it had intelligence. It would look at me with calculating eyes, sometimes curious, or analyzing. I ignored its piercing gaze most of the time.

I looked around more and noticed a new tube in front of me. It hid me from most people's eyes if they didn't know I was there. The tube was placed close enough to me that I could see my own reflection. I looked at how I had changed. My face looked tired and pale. My wrists were so thin, so was my face. I guess it was a result of not eating for these few days and living only by being injected with supplements. It kept me alive, but I looked like a living zombie right now. My lips were dry and the skin cracked due to dehydration. My arms were full of cuts and red from blood. When Hojo cut my flesh to get my blood, he would let it flow until it stopped and then wait a few days before he began to cut it again. Most of the time, I was unconscious so the only memory was the throbbing pain, traces of blood, and the smell of my own blood mixed with Mako that lingered heavily in the air.

Pain from small cuts wouldn't hurt me. Of course I could still feel the throbbing, but I am more than strong enough to endure a few cuts. My problem right now was not the cut on my arms, but my body itself. Most of the time it would be so painful and unbearable. Maybe it was a good thing Hojo often drugged me so often. At least, the only time when I would feel the pain was like right now, when I was conscious.

_Zack…_

I repeated the name over and over again in my head. It was like a spell that kept me strong whenever I faced problems. I thought to myself to be strong for his sake. However, even if I could stay sane, my body had its limits. It grew weaker each day and eventually, I wouldn't survive.

_I wish I could see him one more time, even if it is only a dream. If I do, the first thing I will do is apologize and tell him how I feel. That way, at least my heart will feel lighter and I can die in peace. Of course, after I fulfilled my promise. I wonder…will he ever forgive me?_

* * *

**Zack's pov**

It was almost midnight when we reached Costa Del Sol. The wind got colder and I shivered slightly. I rubbed my arms unconsciously to bring heat to myself.

_This place didn't change a bit,_ I thought when I saw the beach. I had a vacation here once; it was not a very peaceful holiday, but I considered it still "quite" peaceful despite being attacked by Genesis' clones. I stared off into the distance from the harbor, thinking back about my past. How it had changed so much. My once not so peaceful but happy life had turned to extremity.

The sound of waves hitting the beach reached my ears as a distant and gentle sound. It added more effect to my lament. I mentally sighed, noticing that I'd been too sappy lately. Of course, not without a good reason, as losing an important person is quite a blow, yet I was originally a cheerful type of person. I liked to think positively, mostly because if I didn't, I'd get so easily depressed and commit suicide, considering how much torture my past was. I lost a mentor, and then lost my idol whom coincidentally was also my close friend. Now, when I lost my precious person, I couldn't help but grieve every time. I get so irritated easily, snap at every small mistake. I knew it was wrong and that was not me at all. I understood it in my head, but my heart refused. I wanted to be cheerful again, but my face was against my brain.

"Zack," I felt a small tap on my shoulder and I looked at the girl with braided hair smiling gently at me. "We should go," she added and I nodded. The girl, Aerith, now my ex-girlfriend, I was grateful she was here. She prevented me from exploding each time, although indirectly, with her gentle and mature character. She was like a sister to me now, no, even in the past. She restrained me from doing anything silly, helped me when I was down, and now she even helped me in this search although I kind of cheated her feelings. Maybe I was the biggest fool in the whole universe for letting go of her, but what could I do when a certain blonde innocently threw his charms at me and stole my heart.

I turned my back and followed the rest of the party to the town, leaving the harbor. The grey clouds slowly moved and revealed a full moon. It rose higher and higher to the night sky.

* * *

**Cloud's pov**

_Stop it._

I stirred in my sleep.

_Stop it, please. Stop the pain. It hurts._

I could hear my heartbeat rising. The sound deafened my ears. My head was hammering with a severe headache, my blood boiled, my body was hot and ached, and I couldn't feel my arms or feet. Everything was swallowed by the throbbing pain.

_Wake up, my child._

My eyes cracked open. I saw golden threads swaying elegantly in front of me, so I raised my eyes to meet a pair of golden eyes. I could clearly distinguish the emotion shown in the gold orbs, it was sadness. I knew what that mean. Today must be a full moon night and the moon was already high in the sky. Another full moon meant the last of a sinister bottle of liquid to swallow.

"Please…." I pleaded. My eyes were watery. "No more…" My mind kept screaming at my body. My heart told me to drink it, but my consciousness was weak. I didn't even realize I was refusing.

_I am terribly sorry._

Tears fell from her eyes, to her cheeks and then to the floor. It was beautiful, but my vision were already blurring as my consciousness began to fade again. The pain was too much to bear so much so that my body involuntarily forced my mind to shut down, to keep my sanity.

_Please, just one more and there will be no more. I promise. _

My eyes were not focused anymore, but I could still hear. I shook my head weakly. I refused.

_This is the last. You have to be strong, for Zack. _

"Zack…" the image of the raven haired man flashed in my eyes. "For…Zack…" I responded at the name. He is my light, my source of strength. I missed him, I wanted to see him. I missed him so much; my tears finally fell, not because of the pain in my body, but the pain in my heart.

_Yes, for Zack. That's why, this is the last. You have to endure it. _

"For…Zack…" I repeated. I nodded slowly and weakly opened my mouth. Cold, tasteless liquid was poured down into my mouth and I cringed slightly when the cold hit my throat as I tried to swallow it.

_Thank you and I am so sorry, but your misery will be lifted very soon. The reunion draws near. Soon, my child, soon…_

My body was hot, so hot, and the pain getting more intense. I held in my screams, I bit my lower lip and blood trickled down to my ragged clothes. I remembered seeing red when, finally, I lost to the pain and everything went dark once again.

…_.tell…her…please…._

"I will."

Red orbs stared at gold. Red nodded and gold disappeared, leaving only deafening silence. The red orbs stared past the lines of tubes to the fainted blonde and said with a sad but respectful tone, "You are brave, human, very brave."

* * *

**Zack's pov (five days ago)**

Morning came, but I had hardly slept. I was sitting on a chair, looking down to the road from my room's window. Few people appeared and in just an hour, the town was busy again. I rose from my seat, grabbed my sword and placed it on my waist. I opened the door slowly, tried not to wake my companions, and slipped away to the road.

The night we finally got a room, I managed to keep myself from pacing back and forth since Barret said I was annoying, so I sat down, but I kept fidgeting and Yuffie pouted, so I stopped. I bit my lips, but Aerith scowled so I stopped that one too and, finally, I tapped my foot on the floor. I stopped that final act of impatience when Tifa scolded me for being in such a rush. They were right, so I calmed myself down, but I couldn't get myself to sleep. I noticed dark circles under my eyes when I passed by a store and saw my own reflection in it. That was not the only thing I noticed. My unruly hair was even messier than usual and my face was tired. Ignoring the look, I looked away from the transparent material and walked away.

The road was busy and crowded. People began to set up tents and arranged their places to sell. I avoided a few people who came my way and walked to the bar. Finding the place was less of a problem because it was placed in the middle of the town and it was quite large too. The building's wall was painted with cyan. The right wall was decorated with graffiti from black paint. On the middle was the green colored wooden door. The door was opened widely, welcoming every traveler inside.

I set my feet inside the spacious room. Although slightly dark due to lack of sunlight, I could see perfectly. There were not so many people inside. There were only four people, including the bartender and waitress.

"Welcome, please take a seat," the waitress warmly extended her hand and pointed to an empty seat in the middle, near the counter.

I inspected the girl while following her to my seat. Her hair was light brown and slightly wavy. It fit perfectly with her dark brown skin. Her white apron was tied on her waist and her tight light blue uniform traced her body. I bet any man would drool shamefully in front of this girl. I would too, if my mind was not fully occupied by a certain blonde.

"Your order, sir?" the woman asked right after I took my seat. I shook my head when she offered the menu.

"Sandwiches and coffee," I answered shortly. She nodded curtly and was about to leave when I grabbed her wrist. She stopped, surprised.

"Do you need anything else, sir?" she asked again after she had recovered from the surprise.

"Do you remember most of your customers?" not a very straight forward question, but asking bluntly would be rude. The girl paused and then frowned.

"That depends. If the customer has distinctive features, I might."

"Then," I was about to ask the main question. My eyes glinted hopefully. The blonde was quite a rare sight so he should be easily recognized and remembered. "Did a man, blonde, come to this bar? He has spiky gold hair, eyes are blue, and quite handsome – or, rather, beautiful."

I released the woman's hand and she immediately raised it to her chin. She frowned; she seemed to be in deep thought. After what seemed like a minute, her face brightened. "Oh, I remember!" she clapped both of her hands. "He was taller than me, had sword, spiky blonde, and well, a very beautiful man, yes." She nodded to herself, agreeing with her own words. Quite an energetic young woman, I smiled inwardly.

"Tell me about him."

"Let's see…he came about two days ago and he sat," she looked around and stopped her sight on the corner seat. She pointed to the table and continued, "…there. He was alone. He sat for only a short time before walking out."

"Is that all?" I asked impatiently. The information was not enough. I needed more.

"Um…wait, I remembered before he walked out, someone pulled him to sit."

"Who? Please, whatever you remember!" my tone was harsh, but pleading. I wanted to get as much information as I could.

"Okay…" the waitress stepped back slightly, confused with my reaction, but decided to continue, "the man was older than the blonde, shorter, wearing a white coat – lab coat, wearing glasses, and…oh, I couldn't help but be terrified for some unknown reason."

My eyes went wide at the description. It couldn't be him. It couldn't be Hojo. I could feel my anger building up. My hand clenched hard. I vowed I would kill him and tear him to pieces were he to do something to Cloud. "Did you hear their conversation?" I knew the answer, and it was very unlikely that she had. I didn't know why I asked anyway.

"No, they spoke for quite a short time and mostly whispering – the older man, I mean. The blonde only stared quietly and then all of a sudden he went out quite hastily."

"Do you know where he went?"

"No," she shook her head. Her wavy hair swayed elegantly. "But I do know which direction he went. He went to the direction of the town gate – the only exit of this town."

After the last statement, I reached into my pocket and took out a few hundred gil, slamming it on the table. I ran out of the bar and went to the gate. It was not exactly a gate, just a name. There was no giant iron door. People called it 'gate' just to identify the only exit in the town.

"Excuse me," I called to the guard. He seemed free because he was sitting on his chair, back relaxed and feet thrown on the table. "Have you seen a blonde man recently?" I asked politely. I was too busy being hopeful and worried that I neglected to notice the look the fat man gave me. Not that I cared what the other thought about me anyway.

"There are so many blondes around here," he answered lazily and with an arrogant tone. I took a deep breath, calming myself down and rephrased the question.

"I am sorry," I apologized half-heartedly. "He has spiky blonde hair and blue eyes. He is slightly shorter than me."

"Che, annoying," The man lazily put down his feet from the table and pulled out a steel sword from the long drawer below the table. "Is this his?"

I took the sword from the guard and inspected every inch of the sword carefully. The steel was clean, but the slight smell of human blood was still fresh. I turned the sword a few more times then shifted to inspect the hilt. "This…" I pulled the thin, black ribbon that was tied at the base of the sword. "The ribbon Tifa gave to him…"

"Oh? Good for you then," the guard replied with an uninterested tone.

"Please, tell me anything you know!"

The man sighed but decided to answer, although seemingly hesitant. "I was in my home, there," the fat man pointed his chubby finger at a house, just beside the gate. "Then I heard loud noises, so I took a peak. Then I saw this blonde guy," at that point, he stopped. I looked into his eyes and noticed obvious lust. I forced myself to stay unmoved although I was punching him in my mind for looking at Cloud with such perverted eyes. "A beautiful blonde man," he continued, despite the slight anger I radiated. "He was fighting with two men in black. Then a man with a white lab coat came and made him unconscious."

"How in the hell….?"

"Don't cut me off! I'm not done yet!" the man hissed angrily. "He injected something, maybe a sleeping drug, when the blonde man's arms were caught by the two men in black. The blonde resisted and broke free, but unfortunately, not soon after, he fainted. One man in a black suit carried him and then they went to a grass field north of here. I could hear sounds of a chopper, so I guess he was taken away with that." he finished his story.

"Which direction did they go?"

"Hm…I did not see the damn thing, but someone did. If his information is not wrong, then they flew to the direction of Gongaga."

* * *

End of story 16! When will they meet? I don't like giving spoilers but I will give a bit here. They WON'T meet in the next chapter. Bwahhahaha. Curious? Well, press the pretty button below & review! I will write as fast as jet & they will meet soon! So, R-E-V-I-E-W okay!


	18. Run Away

**Disclaimer: **I'm getting tired copy-pasting this part....sigh...if I owned FF7, I will make Zack loved Cloud!

**Summary: **Zack was dead, but Cloud did something to revive Zack. Story set after Crisis Core.

**WARNING!! THIS STORY CONTAINS YAOI, SHOUNEN-AI, BXB RELATIONSHIP, WHATEVER YOU CALL IT! IF YOU FEEL OFFENDED, PLEASE PUSH THE BACK BUTTON OF YOUR INTERNET BROWSER. IF YOU DO NOT MIND (hopefully) PLEASE CONTINUE TO READ! **

**Pairing:** CloudxZack, ZackxAerith, TifaxCloud (Tifa one-sided. Oh yeah, Tifa always had crush on Cloud)

**A/N: **I dunno what gets me, but I wrote with 3 chapters in a week! Next chapter will be updated pretty soon :D

Okay, as usual, thank to TsumeLover666 for beta-ing this story!

Thanks for everyone who reviewed & put this story into fav/story alert! Love you guys!

Foxfire32: I'm sorry I didn't reply your review because I went out of town without laptop or any means of internet, so I'm replying it here. Hope you don't mind.

I'm glad you like the story and...a little bit of spoiler...Zack's not gonna save Cloud. Of course he would be more than happy to but unfortunately, he was not the one. You will know when you read this chapter.

Anyway, on to the story! Oh yeah, before that, Happy belated New Year ^_^

* * *

**Story 17: Run Away**

**Zack's pov**

_If his information is not wrong, then they fly in the direction of Gongaga._

I ran back to the inn as fast as I could. I bumped into people most of the time because I was in a hurry. Finally, I gave up taking the main road and chose to run into a dark alley and from the narrow space, I jumped on the nearest blue ceiling. My eyes frantically searched the building we were staying at. Noticing the red ceiling with a brown chimney of the Inn, I rushed back without delay. Reaching the inn, I jumped down to one open window, my room window. I left it open when I left. Inside Barret was still snoring.

"Barret, wake up!" I shook his body. I shook his big body again and when he refused to wake up, I gave up and went out of the room. I went to the room on my left and frantically knocked on the door. "Aerith, Tifa, Yuffie, wake up now!" I knocked again until I heard an answer from the girls.

"Yes yes, I'm coming," Tifa answered. The door swung open, revealing the brunette, still looking sleepy as she rubbed her eyes. Behind her Aerith was folding her blanket while Yuffie was still sleeping. "What is it, Zack?" the brunette asked, her hand covered her mouth as she stifled a yawn.

"I got a lead! We're moving out, hurry!" I was about to go when Aerith stopped me. I noticed Tifa was not sleepy anymore and Aerith had abandoned her half-folded blanket to make her way to me.

"Can you explain? And calm down."

"I will explain on the road. For now let's just go."

The girls looked at each other before they nodded and I left for my room to wake Barret up.

* * *

"That's what I got from the guard," I explained the story to the group as we made our way out from Costa Del Sol.

"I understand," Aerith started. "To think he will fall again to that…man…" her face was dark and worried. She knew as well as I did, being captured by Hojo meant horrible things were going to happen. She experienced that, although not as long as Cloud and I.

"What did I miss?" Yuffie asked as she was oblivious to my story. She was the recent addition to the team, no wonder she didn't know. Besides, she was from Wutai.

"How do I explain this," I started. Explaining was hard, especially when I was one of the subjects. "Well, Professor Hojo, our next target, was once a scientist at Shin-Ra corp. He was the one responsible for…upgrading the SOLDIERs."

"Upgrading? Don't talk like SOLDIERs are machines. Use human language please!" the ninja whined. I chuckled at her reaction.

"I meant what I said. SOLDIERs are enhanced with Mako, making them super human. For example, like me, I can move faster, my stamina is higher, my eyes are sharper, my ears and nose too. I can see perfectly in the dark. Those abilities are what make a SOLDIER. Those abilities are granted by Mako injection."

"Wow…" the girl gasped, astonished. Normal reaction, IF you didn't know what it felt like being one of them.

"Yes, and that made us monsters too." I stopped, sad. I was stating the facts, yet I couldn't help but pity myself. "Anyway," I continued, noticing their frowning looks. "To make the story short, something happened. Cloud and I became his…lab rats. We spent five years inside Mako-filled tubes, until finally I awoke and ran away with a Mako-poisoned Cloud."

All of them stopped walking and I stopped as I noticed they were not following anymore. I turned my head and found all of them, eyes wide, shocked, jaws dropped. "What?" I asked, slightly surprised by their reactions.

"Zack, you never told us about this!" Aerith exclaimed.

"Really? Well, it's kinda hard to tell you know…" I scratched the back of my head and laughed sheepishly.

"How…how can you laugh as if nothing's wrong?" asked Tifa, voice shaking, and head down. I knew she was thinking about Cloud. She was angry, but at the same time worried. I knew she cared about Cloud. Finding out the truth about our sudden disappearance must have shocked her.

"Tifa," I said, putting my calloused palm on her head. "That was the past. Our priority now is to prevent that from happening again." My voice was soft and gentle. I tried to cheer her up although, I realized, I said those words more to myself than her. The girl seemed to understand, and so did everybody else. They nodded silently, replying my gaze. I nodded in return and in silent agreement, we decided not to talk about this anymore.

* * *

_~ a few days later ~_

The sun was high in the sky when shrieks of pain echoed in our ears. All of us were engaged in battle with numerous monsters. It was not a rare occurrence for people to encounter monsters during their journey and I had anticipated the battle, but I never had guessed that we would be fighting something entirely different. The monsters were strong, very strong compared to normal monsters. Normally, monsters, like animals, would attack people only when intimidated or hungry. Each of those emotions could be distinguished when fighting. Of course I wouldn't say I was sure one hundred percent but no matter how, those monster did not posses what people called "killing instinct" or "aura". Most probably it was because they lived by their instinct to survive. Unlike monsters, only humans fight with brains. Different types of humans might have different reasons for fighting, such as to protect themselves or their loved ones. Some people, mentally disturbed, as I categorized them, fight and kill for desire. Those types usually emitted what I called "killing instinct" which monsters did not possess. These monsters we fought, however, attacked us with every intention to kill. It was as if they had brains, they could think, or were just plainly murderous.

At first, our first few engagements were normal. We fought and killed normal monsters, but as we drew nearer to Gongaga, these vicious monsters started appearing. Their number was not many, but killing even one took quite some time with our combined efforts. Killing one needed all of our combined attacks and now, we had to fight three of them. Imagine the hassle!

On my right, Barret and Aerith engaged a green colored monster. It was not too huge, but had scales and a horn. The green monster had no feet, very much like a snake, a deformed snake. Its tail was shaped like an axe, eyes bloodshot. It had hands with sharp-black claws. Lastly, it had red fangs that could tear even stone. It moved extremely fast. I noticed that sweat trickled down Barret's temple as he tried to dodge its attack. Barret often cursed, but today was the most I'd ever heard. Aerith did her best to support him, healing and giving him support magic, but it was almost useless. None of Barret's attacks connected with the monster and Aerith couldn't attack because the monster kept attacking and Barret would end up hurt more than previously. That's why Aerith couldn't stop her healing spell.

Behind me Tifa and Yuffie were engaged with a monster that looked like a Titan. It had crazily enormous strength, but was quite slow. The girls' attacks were not entirely effective, but at least they could prevent themselves from getting hurt because the two of them had high agility, especially Yuffie.

Meanwhile, I was engaged alone with another green monster that looked like a giant mantis. It was fast, but I was faster, thanks to my Mako-enhanced body. Parrying its first attack, I swiftly moved to its side and thrust my buster sword to its chest. It shrieked in pain, deafening my ears. Ignoring the pain in my ears, I jumped above it and thrust the sword in its head, firmly planting the cold metal in its brain. It shrieked again before it finally fell limp and unmoving. After making sure it was really dead, I pulled out my sword from its skull. Green blood spurted out from where my sword was. The liquid was green, some slightly darker and under the sun, the liquid was sparkling. A small amount of it smeared my sword. Frowning in disgust, I swung the sword to clean the metal. The green liquid hit the grass and a large rock, but I ignored the mess.

Turning away from the mantis' dead body, I ran toward Barret and Aerith. They were having the most difficulties. Quite obvious, since Barret was not an agility type of fighter. He should've fought with the Titan instead of the snake. Aerith worked best in healing and support so I guess she could fit anywhere, but now she looked totally exhausted.

"Barret, move!" I screamed to warn the tanned man as I somersaulted to the snake. Doing that would make the attack heavier although I doubt it would hit the snake since it was fast. Fortunately, the snake was too focused on Barret to notice my attack. It was too late to realize when my sword had already cut down one of its hands and made a large wound along its chest.

"Are you trying to kill me?!" shouted an angry Barret. Clearly he barely dodged my sword.

"I told you to move, didn't I?"

"You're too fast, dude! Next time warn me earlier before throwing your sword!"

"Sorry!" I waved my sword in front of me; the snake hissed angrily. "Oops, guess I made you mad, eh?"

The snake hissed again. Its tail was raised and moved dangerously. It seemed like the angry snake had decided to change its target to me. Well, of course it would, since I just cut one of its dangerous looking hands. I moved carefully, inspecting each and every move. Hissing angrily again, the snake threw its body at me. The claws gleamed dangerously, preparing to tear my body apart. I blocked the attack, using my large and wide sword as my shield, then turned my body around and sent a powerful kick to its head. I moved my sword accordingly to prevent my feet from being cut. The kick hit its cheek bone and sent it flying a few meters into a large rock. The rock cracked when the snake's body hit the surface.

"Barret, go help Tifa and Yuffie. I will handle this one and Aerith, rest a bit and cover my back," I instructed shortly to the two spectators before returning my focus to the snake.

"Got that!" Barret replied and ran to the other battle.

"Don't push yourself too hard, Zack!" Aerith said. Her voice clearly told me she was too exhausted to chant any spell. It was a correct decision to let her rest.

I ran, slightly jumped, to the snake that was still lying on the ground after it had landed on the rock. I swirled my sword and slashed the snake, intending to cut off the head, but it lowered its body and slithered to my feet. Its tail circled my left foot to my thigh and pulled it in its direction. I lost my balance, but before my body hit the ground, I rolled my body slightly and with my free hand as the foundation, I swung the sword and slashed the tail, freeing my leg from its tight grip. Green blood gushed like a broken water tap from the tail. The snake hissed in pain and moved back, away from me. I didn't waste a second and lunged forward to the snake. Before it could run or defend, I jumped behind it and cut off its head. Before its blood, disgusting color I might add, smeared my face and clothes, I moved my sword in front of me and blocked it. I heard a thud from where the snake was and tilted my head slightly and saw the snake's dead body lying unmoving. Green blood still gushed out of its headless neck, forming a small pool of blood.

I sighed tiredly. Yes, I was very tired, but there wouldn't be any time to rest. Swinging my sword again to clean the blood again, I walked to the last monster. Before I reached the monster, however, it fell with a loud thud to the ground, followed by a hoarse scream. The three of them finally killed the giant. I walked slowly to the dead giant and beheaded the monster.

"It's already dead, what's that for?" asked Yuffie, bewildered.

"You wouldn't want it to kill you when you think it's already dead, would you?" I answered coolly while wiping my sword with a piece of cloth worn by the titan.

"Eh, true," the ninja replied shortly. "How come you don't even sweat while we're almost out of breath? Not to mention, not even a scratch!" she asked again.

My eyebrows twitched in disbelief. How forgetful. "I did tell you that SOLDIERs are super human. Our speed and strength are far above you guys. Not to mention I was a First class Soldier."

"That means Cloud was cheating!" she exclaimed angrily.

My eyebrows twitched again, this time in puzzlement. "How so?"

"Because that's how I failed to rob him!"

Almost immediately, I closed my mouth with my hand. I was trying hard to suppress the laughter, but it was just too much. I laughed out loud, hand gripping my stomach because it began to hurt. "Too…much! Just too much!" I laughed uncontrollably.

"Why the heck is it funny?!" the ninja pouted. Her face was red and she had her hands on her waist as she waited for my answer. When my laughter refused to cease, she kicked my leg.

"So…sorry," I apologized and laughed again, but calmer. "You're too cute." I answered, still half laughing and ruffled her hair.

"Huh?" she tilted her head and frowned in confusion. I only smiled in response and walked away to join the other group members, leaving a confused ninja to scratch her head.

* * *

**Cloud's pov**

_Where am I? Oh yeah, at the lab, again..._

_Where is he? Where is Hojo?_

_Not here. I haven't seen him lately…_

* * *

**Zack's pov**

"You guys okay?" I asked two old men we had helped. After we fought the three monsters, we continued our walk to Gongaga. Not too long after, we found these two men being chased by two of the strange monsters. So, being as kind as we are, we helped the two men and defeated the monsters.

"Y…yes, thank you very much," one of the two men said. His voice was still shaking. The man was wearing a white shirt and brown vest while the other man wore a white t-shirt and both of them were wearing dark brown pants and black boots.

"No problem…wait a sec…I've seen you somewhere…" I tilted my head slightly. I frowned, trying to recall my memories. I was sure this old man was someone I had met before.

"Really? Maybe you came to Gongaga before? I, I mean, we lived there," the man said and the other man nodded in agreement.

"Gongaga…oh!" I clapped my hands, remembering the two men. "You're Elder Kant and old man Ed!"

"Yes, we are…and you are?"

"It's me, Zack!" I answered happily. I hugged both of them, burying their heads in my chest. "It's been so long! I missed you guys!"

"Zack? You don't mean, Zack Fair?" asked the man with the brown vest. He was Elder Kant, the chief in Gongaga.

"No way! You mean the head of mischief section, Zachary?!" the other man asked with an incredulous tone, eyes wide. Yeah, I surprised them quite well. I was gone for years without news after all.

"Yeah. It's me!" I let them go and flashed my famous smile. The two men laughed simultaneously and continuously slapped both of my shoulders before finally hugging me back.

"Oh Zack, It's so good to see you back!" Elder Kant said. His tone was filled with happiness.

"Yeah. Me too!"

* * *

**Cloud's pov**

_The chain was loose! _I thought hopefully. When I realized Hojo hadn't come back for a few days, I thought this was my chance to run away. I was weak, yes, but I still had some energy and spirit to run. Though the chain was tight and hard to break free from it, but I had lost some weight. My wrist was so much thinner now.

I pulled down my left hand, forcing the almost meatless hand out from the grip of the chains. Despite my loss of weight, it was still terribly hard to escape the chain. I hissed when my bruised skin rubbed against the cold, hard chain. I could feel blood streaming down my arm.

_This pain is nothing. Be strong, Cloud! _Encouraging myself, I found new strength and determination to break free. I had to break free from this chain. I had to run away. Gritting my teeth, I pulled my hand harder. _I can do it! I must break free! _I pulled my hand again and finally, my left hand was free, although not without sacrifice. I could feel my wrist was broken and my hand was washed by my own blood. Ignoring the blood and pain from my wrist, I pulled out my right hand and pushed my feet to stand with the help of the wall and tubes positioned around me.

I walked weakly to the exit, but before I reached the door, I found panels of buttons and lights in red. Remembering the red monster, dog or lion, either one I didn't care, I searched for the button with the number "10" written on it and pressed it. The once red light turned to green. The tube numbered 10 slid opened. I turned to face the red monster and smiled weakly. "Don't get caught again." And then I turned and walk away.

* * *

**Zack's pov**

"Haha yeah, Zachary was a troublemaker. Remember when he put a frog inside your drawer? You were so mad and chased him with a broom!"

"Yeah, Ed, I remember that one! Such a mischievous young lad he was!"

"Hey! Stop bad-mouthing me!" I pouted playfully. I was such a troublemaker when I was young. My favorite target was Elder Kant. And when I did my mischievous acts, he would chase me around with his broom. Other kids named it 'Zack-repellent-broom'.

"We're not! We're just telling your friends the truth about you!" Old man Ed said. "You were always so loud, so energetic, it was so…quiet when you left…" he continued with a sad tone.

"Hey, no more sad thoughts!" Yuffie said. "Zack is back now, isn't he?" The two elders just smiled and nodded in response. I smiled too. Yuffie's enthusiasm always managed to brighten the mood. Usually it would be my job, but lately only sad thoughts appeared in my brain. It was a good thing the cheerful Ninja joined the group.

"Oh yeah," I said, changing the topic. "Why are there so many weird monsters around?"

Old man Ed shook his head and sighed. "We don't know. All of a sudden they appeared. Half of the village was destroyed and all of us who lived on the front side had to move inside."

The village of Gongaga was made of two sides, front and back. Both sides were separated by a small artificial river and connected by a long bridge. My home was on the back side, and so was Elder Kant and old man Ed's house.

"No! That must be that wretched man's doing!" Elder Kant shouted angrily. "Ever since that man came, nothing good ever happened!"

"Who?" Tifa asked suspiciously. I was thinking to ask the same thing since that man could be Hojo.

"That man came about a week ago, with his bodyguards and stayed in the ruin. He came and visited the village once. He looked like a scientist though, with that white lab coat. His name…er…"

"Hojo?" Barret asked excitedly. The description fit.

"Yeah! That's him!" Old man Ed said. From his tone I could say that the man was quite irritated with the professor. Obviously, nobody liked that creepy asshole anyway.

"Then we're on the right track. Let's hurry guys!" I told them.

"You were looking for him?" Elder Kant asked.

"Yeah. That damn man kidnapped our friend," Tifa said sadly.

"What?!" both of the men shouted incredulously.

"Yeah. That's why we need to hurry up, before that man does something bad to him." Aerith continued. All of them just nodded silently and walked faster. I doubted the man hadn't done anything to the boy. He was gone for more than a week now. There was no way Cloud was still intact, but as long as he was still alive, I wouldn't give up hope. But I had made a promise to myself, when I found Hojo, I would kill him myself.

* * *

**Cloud's pov**

I walked weakly across the pile of broken walls. My steps were unstable. My legs threatened to fall anytime, but I must get out from this place. I had to, and before Hojo came back. My head throbbed painfully and so did my body. I forced my anemic body to walk. As I took more steps, my sight was blurring. I closed my eyes and rubbed my temple. It was no use. Everything swayed and doubled before my eyes, but I didn't give up. Slowly, I dragged my feet and used the wall to help.

_Where is the exit?_

Time felt like an eternity as I slowly dragged my body.

_Exit…light…_

I saw light from my blurry vision. That's the exit, I thought with hope. I forced my feet to walk longer.

_I must reach the exit._

The light grew larger, blinding my eyes. I was confiscated for so long underground. The light hurt my eyes, but I gladly accepted the pain if that meant freedom. I narrowed my eyes in pain. I couldn't use my eyes yet until it adjusted with the light, but my nose worked just fine. The smell of grass and sand carried by the wind filled my lungs. I smiled weakly.

_I'm outside!_

My heart was filled with hope.

_Had to run!_

My eyes adjusted with the light. The scene was still blurring and swaying, but I could still walk, as far as my feet could carry. Slowly and with swaying steps, I entered what I thought was a forest, except I was a bit spacey. I walked for I didn't know how long until my feet gave up. I fell to the ground, almost unconscious when a sudden pain shot through my entire body. My feet were drawn close to my chest as I gasped in pain. My eyes went wide with the sudden shock. Almost immediately after the sudden pain, I fainted.

* * *

Okay....well, Zack's not there to save him so he saved himself! Cloud is strong anyway :D

Don't worry though, they're gonna meet pretty soon so review okay! If you do, I will update the next chapter ASAP cause I already have it with me (beta-ed version, I mean)


	19. Fate Works in the Strangest Way

**Disclaimer: **I'm getting tired copy-pasting this part....sigh...if I owned FF7, I will make Zack loved Cloud!

**Summary: **Zack was dead, but Cloud did something to revive Zack. Story set after Crisis Core.

**WARNING!! THIS STORY CONTAINS YAOI, SHOUNEN-AI, BXB RELATIONSHIP, WHATEVER YOU CALL IT! IF YOU FEEL OFFENDED, PLEASE PUSH THE BACK BUTTON OF YOUR INTERNET BROWSER. IF YOU DO NOT MIND (hopefully) PLEASE CONTINUE TO READ! **

**Pairing:** CloudxZack, ZackxAerith, TifaxCloud (Tifa one-sided. Oh yeah, Tifa always had crush on Cloud)

**A/N: **

1. This chapter is dedicated to El-xo as a present from me, to celebrate his end of test!

2. There is something asked by Clockwork Phoenix, about our dear professor Hojo. Where did he go? Well, since I have no intention of writing the part about where he's gone, I'll answer it here. Hojo went to catch some monsters for his experiments. As you have known from the last chapters, there are a few tubes with monsters inside. Some of you might have guessed what's the monsters for. But I won't directly give the spoiler, so you can either guess it or wait until I reveal it ;D

3. fluffyz babe: Cloud is earning his holiday! I keep my promise! I too, don't want to torture Cloud throughout the story, well, another torture is waiting for him (since I loved torturing him so much) but I can be considerate too as to give him a few chapters of holiday ;D and so...here you goes, holiday chapter (1) for Cloud!

Okay, done with that, on to the usual ritual.

Thanks a thousand times to my beta, TsumeLover666 for her kindness & patient when beta-ing this story!

Thanks another thousand times to all my reviewers! And many thanks to those who put this story into their fave/story alert!

On to the story then!

* * *

**Story 18: Fate Works in the Strangest Way**

**Zack's pov**

"Well, welcome to Gongaga," I said. My hands were thrown wide to my sides, welcoming the group to Gongaga, my village. It had been so long. I never thought I would come back to this village again.

The village was small, even smaller than most villages. But the fact is the village is not that small. Gongaga was quite large, but the village itself was divided into two, separated by an artificial river. Besides the river, the back part of the village was surrounded by forest. The front and back part was connected by a bridge, but it was possible to get to the front part without crossing the bridge, and that was through the forest. Since the bridge was built, no one used the forest anymore, except for hunting.

"Well, there is nothing to see here," I told the group. When I said there's nothing, I meant it, literally. Gongaga was a poor village. "…and it is even emptier than before," I continued when I saw piles of debris, remnants of what used to be houses.

The condition was worse than I previously thought. No buildings left. Everything was reduced to waste. Reaching the river, more piles of wood were found. It was the remains of what used to be the bridge.

"Let's go. We will escort you to the back."

Following the two elders, we walked through the forest, and out into another small village. This part of the village miraculously survived the fate of being destroyed, maybe thanks to the fact that more than half of it was hidden by trees. I tried to recall my memories about the village and matched it with the current state. There was almost nothing changed. All the buildings stayed the same, except older and more rotten doors or ceilings. When my eyes landed on a house on the back corner, I stopped.

"The wall, the ceiling, the door, nothing changed," I whispered my thoughts out loud. All eyes were fixed on me. Ignoring the stares, I made my way to the small house. Upon reaching the door, I froze. Nostalgia and the sudden feeling of homesickness struck me. I laughed inwardly, after all these times, I got homesick now. I raised my hand to the door and knocked on the wooden board a few times.

* * *

_~ A few hours ago ~_

**Cloud's pov**

My head hurt. My body ached. My eyes fluttered opened, revealing very familiar yet alien scenery. I tried to recall my recent memories despite the headache that kept hammering my head.

_I ran from the lab, entered a forest…then fainted…_

I turned my head slightly, but saw no trees. Above me, dim light was suspended by a thin rope to the wooden ceiling.

_Ceiling, I'm in a room…?_

I moved my fingers and noticed a soft fabric was put on top of me, keeping my body warm.

_A bed…? Whose? _

"Oh dear, you awake?" asked a voice. I looked up and was met with a pair of dark orbs belonging to an old woman. The kind lady pulled a small chair beside the bed and sat on it. I carefully inspected the woman. It was very unlikely that this kind looking woman was trying to harm me. And most probably, she rescued me from the forest, and even tended to my wounds. I thought so after noticing the bandages that wrapped my arms, wrists and neck. Most probably, more bandages could be found if I took off the blanket, but I was too tired and weak to even sit.

"How are you feeling?" she asked as she put her warm, old hand to my temple.

"I…" I started, but stopped almost immediately. My voice was hoarse. My throat was dry and talking was painful.

"Here," she said, offering a glass of water to me. "You have been sleeping for two days now." She put her hand behind my neck and pushed my head up slightly. With her other hand that held the glass, she offered the transparent material to my lips and slowly poured the clear liquid. Slowly swallowing the water, I felt refreshing cold pass through my dried mouth and throat. When she had emptied the water, slowly, she put my head back to the pillow.

"Thank…you…" I said gratefully and flashed a weak smile. The old woman smiled back gently.

"It's good to know you're okay. Now, just take it easy and rest."

* * *

**Zack's pov**

I knocked the door three times and then waited for familiar voices to reply. When I heard none, I knocked again.

"Yes, yes, coming," said a familiar deep voice, answering my knocks. My heart raced, head hung down and I bit my lower lip nervously. When the door swung opened, I looked up immediately and was greeted by a familiar face. Immediately, I threw my muscular arms around his shoulders and pulled the old man into a tight hug. I buried my head in his hair.

"I'm back, old man," I said in whisper. I held back the tears that threatened to fall any time.

"Za…ck?" the man's voice shook. "Is that really you?" he asked again. This time, I could clearly hear his deep voice was shaking, mixed with soft sobs.

"Yes. It's me. I'm back," I answered longingly. It had been so long. I let go of the man and gazed at him fondly. The man shook his head weakly and tears began to fall from his old eyes. He threw himself to me again and gave a short hug before grabbing my hand and led me inside. Outside, my friends smiled understandingly and decided to wait outside until I finished my family reunion.

When I stepped inside, I observed the small room. Nothing changed. Not even the position of the furniture. The table and chairs were put in the middle of the room. That was where we usually had our breakfast, lunch and dinner together. In front of the table was a small and dirty fireplace. It looked dirtier than before, reminding me of how long I hadn't looked at this fireplace. On the right, next to the wall, was the small kitchen. My mom spent most of her time there. On the left were two doors. One led to my parent's room and another one to mine.

"We left everything as it was when you left," my father started, waking me up from my nostalgia. "We thought, when you came back, you will still see your old house."

"Yes. This is definitely my home, I still remember everything."

"Yeah, I know. Anyway, sit down. I will call your mother," father left and entered my room. Why did he go into mine instead of theirs? I thought confusedly, but decided to discard the question. Maybe mom missed me or cleaned my room or something. Pulling out one of the chairs, I glance shortly at it before sitting down.

Not even a minute passed before I heard loud footsteps. Seemed like mom was rushing to see me, I smiled and stood, waiting to send another passionate hug to the older woman. When the woman appeared from the door, I smiled at her and walked a few steps. The old woman froze for a second, before tears fell and she ran to me. I opened my arms and accepted her petite figure into my arms. We stayed like that for a few moments, before mother let go of her hug. I did the same. We stared at each other for a while, inspecting each other's face. Mom and dad looked a lot older, and tired.

"Zack, my boy," she put her hand on my cheek and I warped her warm hand with mine.

"I'm back, mom," the words came out as a mere whisper as tears began to fall from my eyes.

* * *

**Cloud's pov**

I woke up again that day. This time my body felt lighter. Slowly, I opened my eyes and gazed to my right. The kind old lady was sitting there, patiently. Her gaze fixed at my face all the time. I smiled weakly at her and she smiled back.

"How are you feeling?" she asked. I smiled again and nodded weakly.

"I'm fine. Thanks to you."

"Good." At that, she stopped and her eyes suddenly filled with sadness.

"What…happened?" I asked with a hint of concern in my voice.

"No, it's nothing. You just remind me of my son. He left to become a SOLDIER and…never came back…" she said sadly. Her son was a SOLDIER. He might have been dead, and might have been killed by me, or Zack. The thought made my heart feel like it was stabbed with an illusionary knife of sadness and guilt. This woman was kind yet I might be her son's killer. I didn't deserve such kindness, I sadly thought.

"I…" I was about to apologize when the door swung opened. An old man appeared and excitedly he walked to the woman.

"He…he's back! Our son's alive and he's back!" he shouted with joy. Both of them rushed to the door and exited the room.

_Thank goodness her son is alive_. I thought. I was relieved. If his son is alive, then that meant neither Zack nor I killed him. The fact that my hand was dirtied by blood didn't change, but it still helped to lighten my heart.

From outside, I could hear soft whispers and then soft sobs. I was happy the couple finally reunited with their son. They had been so kind to help a stranger like me. They deserved happiness. But my presence here might destroy that happiness. As long as I was here, the family would once again be face with problems. This place couldn't be so far from the lab and Hojo might be able to find me here. I had to run again. Besides, no matter where I went, I always brought trouble.

_Another journey it seems…thank you for your kindness, and good bye. May you be happy forever. _I prayed silently from my bed. I decided to go without saying good bye to the kind couple. I couldn't use the door, but fortunately, the room had quite a large window.

Determined to leave, I used my elbow to help me to sit. It was quite hard, remembering I hadn't had any food since I awake. I failed miserably at my first attempt because of the pain in my arm. Deciding to try again, I gritted my teeth, ignoring the pain and pushed my body up. I succeeded and the blanket that covered my shoulder fell to my feet. Pulling the warm fabric away, I moved my feet to the edge of the bed.

I was reluctant to leave. Somewhere deep in my heart, I wished to stay with this family. It was fine if they thought of me as a replacement for their son, but when the man came back, I lost the hope. I still wish to stay, but I didn't want to destroy the family with my presence.

Slowly, I put my feet down from the bed. I shivered slightly when the cold attacked my bare feet.

_No time to waste. I had to go now. _

Giving my body another push, I forced my body to stand. I almost fell, but I immediately gripped the edge of the bed and balanced myself. I was sure when I did that, my right foot hit the floor hard, but I doubt they would notice. I searched the room for something I could use to help me walk, but when I found none, I decided to use whatever was nearby. I saw the chair the woman sat in previously. I grabbed the wooden chair and started walking, but fate hated me. Fate wanted me to destroy the family, so I fell miserably to the floor. The chair I used fell together with my body and knocked another chair with a basin full of cold water. The other chair fell along with the basin. Cold water splashed my body. I shivered from the cold, but more importantly, to my fear, the fallen basin hit the floor with a loud-piercing sound.

_I need to move fast!_

I dragged my body just with my two arms because my legs gave up on me. It was not too successful too. The dragging was sluggish. Fortunately the window was close by so I stretched my hand to the open window, but before I could pull myself to stand, the door swung open.

* * *

**Zack's pov**

I was talking with my parents when I heard a sound from my room. It was not too loud, but I heard it clearly. My parents didn't seem to notice though, so I decided to ask.

"Mom, is someone in my room?"

"Huh? Oh yeah. How did you know?"

"Well, I thought it was weird because when dad went to call you, he went to my room instead of yours." I explained. Well, not entirely true, but I wasn't lying either.

"Yeah, when we went to the forest nearby…" she started to explain the situation, but a sudden loud sound interrupted her. It sounded like a metal object just fell.

"Oh, don't tell me….he's not in the condition to walk!" my mother exclaimed angrily and walked back to the room. My father and I decided to follow her to my room. My mom pushed the door opened and with a hand resting on her waist, she scolded the man. "Don't tell me you're trying to leave! You're not even in the condition to get off your bed!"

I snickered to her scolding. Mom used to tell me that when I was down with a fever yet tried to escape and got caught by her in the end. I tilted my head slightly, I was curious to see who just made my mom scowl angrily. I caught the sight of bandaged legs and feet covered by white short pants, and then covered by a wet short sleeved shirt and a bandaged arm to the wrist. His skin was white and the all white bandages and clothes made his skin look pale. And then, my eyes caught familiar blond hair. When he heard my mother's voice, he turned to face us immediately, frowning.

I froze for I didn't realize how long. I didn't move or speak until my father tapped my shoulder and asked, "What's wrong?"

I recovered from my trance and took a step closer to the boy. "Cloud…?" I whispered his name in disbelief. I couldn't believe my eyes. I was frantically searching for him and of all places, I found him in my own house!

The boy let go of his grip from the window and stared back at me incredulously. Ha! I bet he was as surprised as me. After running away from me he ended up at my home? Fate works in the strangest ways.

"Zack?!"

Oh yeah, that voice I always longed to hear, it was him, indeed. I took another step forward, but the boy pushed himself away until his back touched the wall. I frowned at him and sighed. After all of this, he's trying to avoid me? I ruffled my hair in frustration. This boy really needed a good and long scolding.

* * *

**Cloud's pov**

_I wish I could see him one more time, even if it is only a dream. If I do, the first things I will do are apologize and then tell him how I feel. That way, at least my heart will feel lighter and I can die in peace._

I once made a small wish to every God and Goddess and that was to meet Zack one more time. I never thought the God or Goddess, I didn't care, would make my wish came true. Zack stood before me. I knew I should say something. No, I should apologize to him first. But when I saw him, after I said his name, my head went blank. I was flabbergasted. I was scared. My arms were already weak, and so were my legs. I didn't know where the strength came from, but before I knew it, I had pushed myself away from the raven haired man. When my back hit the wall, I stopped. I had nowhere to run now. In front of me, Zack frowned and then sighed. He ruffled his hair. I knew that sign. He did that when he was frustrated.

_Minerva, you really loved to torture me, didn't you?

* * *

_

Yeah!!! Finally!!! I'm so excited when writing the last, this and next chapter. No wonder I can write the three chapters within a week. I've been waiting like ages to write this part! People, ZACK FINALLY FOUND CLOUD, OMG!!!! Damn, I get too excited! No matter, I still think my reviewers wanted them to meet ASAP so YEAH, this is my belated new year present!

Since I have given you all present, now it's your turn to give me one. Press the button below and REVIEW okay! Review and I promise I will update next chapter very soon, as soon as my beta finished the checking!


	20. A Short Story

**Disclaimer: **I'm getting tired copy-pasting this part....sigh...if I owned FF7, I will make Zack loved Cloud!

**Summary: **Zack was dead, but Cloud did something to revive Zack. Story set after Crisis Core.

**WARNING!! THIS STORY CONTAINS YAOI, SHOUNEN-AI, BXB RELATIONSHIP, WHATEVER YOU CALL IT! IF YOU FEEL OFFENDED, PLEASE PUSH THE BACK BUTTON OF YOUR INTERNET BROWSER. IF YOU DO NOT MIND (hopefully) PLEASE CONTINUE TO READ! **

**Pairing:** CloudxZack, ZackxAerith, TifaxCloud (Tifa one-sided. Oh yeah, Tifa always had crush on Cloud)

**A/N:**

1. This chapter is dedicated to my friend Tsukiri.

2. Special thanks to Santora for reviewing almost all chapters (which contribute greatly on the number of my reviews!!) Kisses and hugs for ya :D

**Edit:** This is edited version. Thanks to my beta for correcting the story, despite being so busy~

Thousands and millions of thanks for all who reviewed, add this story to their story/fav alert.

This is just a short chapter, and although unbeta-ed, I decided to upload it cause I haven't uploaded for quite sometimes. So, again, please bear with my _crappy _English.

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* * *

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**Story 19: A Short Story**

**Zack's pov**

"You know him, Zack?" my mom asked, surprised because the two of us just called each other.

I nodded shortly and replied, "Yes. Mom, dad, can you please leave us alone for a moment? I need to talk with him." The two of them exchanged looks, nodded in agreement, and walked out of the room. I waited awhile, sharpening my ears. When I heard the click of the front door, I turned my gaze to the boy who sat weakly on the floor. His head hung down, clearly avoiding my eyes. I took a few steps toward him. I stopped when I saw the boy flinch visibly, hearing my footsteps closing in. He didn't need super hearing to hear them since we were in the same small room. The boy drew his knees close to his chest. I took another step, and then another, until finally I was in front of him. The boy didn't move, even knowing I was right in front of him. I kneeled down until our heights were equal.

"Cloud," I called, but the boy didn't move.

"Cloud," I called again, softer. However, the boy still refused to move. "Cloud, look at me," I said. My tone was still gentle, but firm. When the boy still refused to talk or move, I lost my patience.

"Damn it, Cloud, I said look at me!" My hands were extended to capture his face, but before I managed to do that, both of his hands were raised and crossed protectively above his head. I acted quickly, even before my brain commanded, my hands captured both of his wrists and forced his arms to move. He tried to struggle, but failed. In terms of strength, I was definitely the stronger one, but this Cloud, he was way too weak. I noticed the bandages around his body, so that must have been the cause. After he failed to break free from my iron grip, he gave up, but his head hung even lower, almost buried in his knees.

"Cloud, lift your head and look at me," I commanded again. Even after I captured his wrists, it was not enough. The blonde still refused to lift his head. I sighed desperately. I didn't wish to get rough with him, but if that was what was needed, then I would gladly use it.

Moving both of his wrists closer, I moved his left wrist to my right hand, crisscrossing the wrists in my grip and held them against the wall above his head. The cold surface proved effective as a replacement for another hand. Then, with my free hand, I cupped his chin and lifted his head to face mine. When I did that, he was slightly startled and for an instant, his blue orbs met mine. But that only happened for a second, because even after I had his head lifted up, he could still roll his eyes and avoid my gaze.

"Cloud," I said with a hint of disappointment and sadness in my voice. "Did you leave me because you hate me?"

Responding to the question, the blonde unconsciously turned his eyes to meet mine. "No! I will never hate you! Ever!" I used this moment to study his eyes. When he said that, his eyes shone with trust and…affection? But I thought I was interpreting it wrongly because right after that, his eyes evaded mine again.

I sighed again. This boy can be really tough sometimes. "Cloud, if you don't hate me, then don't avert your eyes. Look at me, please."

The younger boy seemed hesitant at first, but slowly he gazed directly into my eyes. "Good," I said and let go of his wrists. We fixed our eyes at each other, drowning ourselves in silent stare, before I lifted both of my hands and hit his cheeks. I reduced my strength greatly when I did that, but still strong enough to cause a slight sting. The boy frowned confusedly and I frowned angrily. "How dare you leave me like that!" I shouted. The boy looked down as he felt the guilt and murmured a soft 'sorry'. "Don't you dare avert your eyes again! Look at me!" The blonde did as I said and, although still slightly frowning and hesitant, turned his eyes to lock onto mine again.

I stared long into the boy's eyes. I missed these eyes so much. With my hands that still held his face, I moved them to the back of his head and pulled him closer into a hug. I buried my head in his neck and felt a shiver run down my spine when his locks tickled my ears. "I missed you so much, Chocobo head," I whispered softly in his left ear and tightened my hug.

"Zack," the blonde replied with a whisper to my ear. "I'm sorry, I really am…" I heard soft sobs coming from the younger boy in my arms.

"You'd better be," I replied with a soft sigh, slightly smiling despite knowing that the blonde wouldn't be able to see it. "Searching for you was a pain, ya know."

Releasing the hug, I came to stare eye to eye with the blonde. After a moment of drowning in the blue pools, I brought myself to notice his rather tired face. The pale skin was even paler, contrasted by visible dark circles around his eyes. The parted, slightly trembling lips were dry and lacerated. I brought my sight down to his neck. Countless red dots marred the once smooth skin. Then I moved down again to his body. Cloud was never one to be considered big-built, or fat and not too skinny too. However, the sight before me made me bite my lips angrily. He had lost so much weight that I would assume he was a walking corpse were I someone who didn't know the boy. His wrists were so thin that I was practically able to hold both with just one hand. Both of his arms were bandaged, and so were his feet.

"What happened?" I asked disquietly. The boy shook weakly in response.

"I don't know," was his answer. It was better if he lied as I could force the answer out, but seeing uncertainty in his eyes made me believe that he was not lying.

"Care to tell me?"

Sighing in defeat, the boy nodded. "I will. I don't want another slap," he said teasingly. I smiled sheepishly at him and then put one of my hands to his back and another under his knee. Quite easily, because I was strong, but also he had lost some weight, I lifted him up bridal-style. Noticing the faint blush adorning his cheeks, I smirked and carried the blonde to the bed and then placed him on the edge of the bed in a sitting position. It was easier to talk that way although I preferred him to sleep.

Pulling out the nearest chair, I sat down on it, ignoring another chair, pool of water and basin on the floor. I stared intently at the blonde who shifted nervously. "So? Care to start?"

"O…okay…" he started, albeit slightly hesitant. "After I left Fort Condor, I went to Junon and from there I took a ship to Costa Del Sol. Until that, there wasn't any problem," he stopped, seemingly thinking. "Well, not exactly, I met a hyperactive Ninja."

I raised my eyebrows. Yeah, she was overly hyperactive indeed. I couldn't help but chuckle, remembering a certain short-haired brat. "Yuffie, yeah, she's one hyperactive brat."

"You know her?" the younger boy asked, surprised.

"Well of course! She's one of your 'personal' search team after all!"

"Drop the sarcasm, will you?" the boy pouted. Damn, that was too cute. I almost threw myself at him but, fortunately, I still had a thin string of patience left. Although, if he flashed me the cute gesture again, I might not be able to hold myself back. Teasing him might not be the cleverest decision after all.

"Heh, sorry. Anyway, yes, I met her not long after you left her."

"I see. Well then, after Junon, I left for Costa Del Sol almost immediately. I went to the bar and…" Cloud hesitated and bit his lips slightly. I knew the continuation. After all, the waitress at that bar had told me.

"…You met Hojo and he…'kidnapped' you, right?" I continued his story, earning a surprised look from the boy.

Nodding as a response, he asked, "How did you know that?"

"Gathered some info here and there," I shrugged my shoulders and quickly changed the topic. "Just continue from when Hojo got you."

I noticed the boy flinched, but he continued anyway. "Well, I don't really know because he drugged me so I was sleeping most of the time."

"And…that explains the red dots."

"What red dots?"

"Those tiny holes made by needles all over your neck, obviously."

"Oh, okay." His pale hand moved to cover his neck, seemingly ashamed to show the scars. When his hand was placed on his neck, I noticed another scar. I'd seen that one before. In my mind, I reminded myself to remember to ask him details about that later. "Well, the rest was blurry. I never awoke for more than a minute, but a few days ago Hojo didn't come back to sedate me, so I made my escape." When he said that, he raised his left hand so it was level with my eyes, showing me a few healing cuts.

"You pulled your hand free from whatever thing he used to bind you?" I asked incredulously.

"Yeah. I had to. He drugged me and my strength just refused to come back. Since I lost some weight, as you might have already noticed, the feat was not that hard." He shrugged his shoulders, as if that was nothing. I was too upset to speak and I had to try my hardest to stop my hand from pinching the boy, but the victim boy took my silence as permission to continue. "After I got out of the place, I fainted in a forest and your parents helped me."

"First of all, Cloud," a vein popped in my temple. "I understand that escaping that freaky place was a priority and correct choice. However, preferably, don't hurt yourself in the process."

"Do I have a choice?"

"Well, in that situation, no. And I did say 'preferably'." The boy silently nodded. "Good. Then, explain about the bandage, if you remember."

"Oh, it seemed like Hojo needed my blood."

"How was that connected to the bandage? You draw blood with a syringe, not a….knife…?" My eyes widen in realization. "It can't be…he cut you just to take your blood?"

"Yes. I noticed how _badly _the condition of the lab was. He probably didn't have a syringe or maybe it was just easier to take my blood by cutting my flesh."

"And where exactly did he cut you?" I felt my blood boil in anger. My fist was clenched so hard that my knuckles turned white. My nails dug so deeply in my flesh that blood began to trickle down to the floor. The boy didn't seem to notice though, because I tried to maintain a poker face.

"At first, it was just my arm." He pulled the bandage from one of his arms, revealing the pale skin marred by a red, long line drawn forcefully with the knife. "When it healed, he would cut in the same place again. But when my body regeneration became slower as I became weaker, he drew the blood from some other places, namely, my other arm, legs, thighs, or wrists. He made sure to avoid vital parts though. He wanted me alive."

I stared hard at the floor, as if I wanted to burn a hole in the ground. My body trembled in shock and anger. A certain professor really needed a beating, then to be tortured slowly and painfully to death.

"That explains my current situation," the boy's voice brought me back from the world in my mind as I thought of every possible form of the most painful and brutal way of torture. "The cuts are not the problem. I was weak due to blood loss and malnourishment. When I get my strength back, the wounds will heal immediately."

I felt my heart clench painfully, hearing him say that. He was the victim. He was supposed to worry about himself, not me. But his concern made me happy. "Cloud, just rest for now. Don't go anywhere."

"I won't. I'm sorry for leaving you, Zack." He sounded apologetic. Well he should, after all the problems I went through!

"Good if you understand. Rest for now. I will tell the others that you're here." I pushed him in the head until he lied on the bed. Pulling the blanket to cover his body, I turned away to leave the room, but before I reached the door, I stopped. "It's good to see you again, Cloud. Welcome back," I turned my head slightly and smiled fondly.

Smiling back with the same level of affection, he responded, "Yeah. It's good to be back. And, welcome back. I'm happy you can meet your parents again."

"Yeah."

Turning my head to the door again, I left the room and closed the door softly. Beyond that wooden door and inside the small room, the boy slowly drifted into dreamless sleep. His face was calm and content with a small smile plastered on his beautiful face.

------

Opening the front door, I met curious gazes from my friends and parents. I sighed tiredly. Oh, I would need a long, whole day of story-telling.

"What happened?" Tifa was the first to ask. Her face was a mixture of worry, excitement, and interest. Worried because it might be bad news, excited and interested, well, quite obvious. I smiled in attempt to assure her that I brought no bad news. When she saw it, she sighed and relaxed her shoulders.

"Tell us, tell us!" Yuffie exclaimed excitedly. Honestly, she was way too hyperactive for her own good. I had to hold her head as far as my hand could stretch before the girl head butted my stomach.

"She 'as been like 'dis for the whole hour now," Barret whimpered wearily. Apparently, Barret became our youngest companion's temporary baby sitter. Since he left Marlene in Midgar, Barret lost a part of his enthusiasm and when Yuffie joined us, he found temporary replacement for his daughter. Although quite evidently, he couldn't catch up with the energetic girl, therefore the long sigh.

I signaled all of them to come closer while I took a seat on a nearby rock in front of the house. All of them did as I did, albeit some decided to stand, my parents included. Their eyes never strayed from me and somehow made me uneasy, but I decided to ignore it.

Scratching the back of my head, I began the story.

"First, I will talk about why we're here," I started and then continued before Barret could interrupt. "Because my parents need to know why." Earning a confused look from my friends, I laughed sheepishly. Apparently I had forgotten the introduction. "Sorry, I forgot. They are my parents." I pointed my thumb to my side where my dad and mom stood.

"Oh, it's nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Fair," Aerith extended her hand which was taken warmly by my mother.

"Oh, the pleasure is ours. Please, no need to bother about us. Just continue, Zack," my mother said.

"Okay. Well, we're here because we got lead that our friend had been seen being brought here."

"By friend, you mean," my father's eyebrows were raised knowingly. It was not hard to make the conclusion after the 'surprise' meeting they had seen in the house.

Before my father continued his sentence, I nodded and answered, "Yes. It seems like our journey is not in vain after all," I grinned victoriously.

"Oh my, it couldn't be," Aerith said, mildly surprised.

"You don't mean," Tifa said at the same time, even more surprised.

"What? What did I miss?!" Well, obvious follow-up question from Yuffie.

"You idiot!" Barret exclaimed, hitting the Ninja's head playfully. "Obviously it means…er….what?"

All of us sweat dropped. "Honestly, use your head a little!" Tifa scowled.

"Calm down, just let Zack finish his story, okay?" Aerith put her hand on her waist, frowning at their childish bickering. All of them went silent almost immediately and I was mentally grateful to the auburn haired Ancient.

"To put it simply, Cloud's here," I said, continuing the story. Aerith didn't seem too surprised anymore because she had guessed it just now, and so did Tifa.

"What? How? When? Why? Where?" Yuffie and Barret asked simultaneously. Oh great, a superb 4H + 1H concurrency from two simpletons. Sure indeed, I need a whole day to explain this to these two. I sighed again. Well I had lost count of how many sighs I had today, but, anyway, I started the story again, and this time slower and with more details.

While I was in my story-telling session, not too far outside of the village, five monsters were walking toward the village. Above those monsters, one chopper made its way to a ruin near Gongaga and distantly, an angry cry was heard from inside the ruin.

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Yeah I know, it's short. But next chapter will be uber long! I've done writing, but I'm still waiting for my beta. Anyway, review please!


	21. Another Meeting

**Disclaimer: **I'm getting tired copy-pasting this part, which I did, cause I had to....sigh...if I owned FF7, I will make Zack loved Cloud!

**Summary: **Zack was dead, but Cloud did something to revive Zack. Story set after Crisis Core.

**WARNING!! THIS STORY CONTAINS YAOI, SHOUNEN-AI, BXB RELATIONSHIP, WHATEVER YOU CALL IT! IF YOU FEEL OFFENDED, PLEASE PUSH THE BACK BUTTON OF YOUR INTERNET BROWSER. IF YOU DO NOT MIND (hopefully) PLEASE CONTINUE TO READ! **

**Pairing:** CloudxZack, ZackxAerith, TifaxCloud (Tifa one-sided. Oh yeah, Tifa always had crush on Cloud)

**A/N:**

1. This chapter is dedicated to my friend El-xo(formerly) or now Tsukiri. I wasn't aware that user name can be changed...

2. Thanks to all my faithful readers: DarkBombayAngel, Seirei Nightlord05, Dragi, Yuffie's Ninja Insanity, and Santora.

3. Also thanks to all reviewers I forget to mention, I didn't forget you, it's just I'm too lazy to check, but I still greatly appreciate your reviews.

4. Seirei NightLord05: yes, your nii-sama is here!!! Although short, but for now, just bear with it cause more will come!

**Edit:** This is edited version! Thank a million to my beta, TsumeLover666 for correcting it~

Thousands and millions of thanks for all who reviewed, add this story to their story/fav alert.

As I promised, this one is a very long chapter (compared to previous one). And, I don't know when my beta will come back so I uploaded this unbeta-ed version. So, again, please bear with my _crappy _English.

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**Story 20: Another Meeting**

**Zack's pov**

It was morning and I was resting my back on a chair, silently gazing at the sleeping boy. I still couldn't believe my eyes. I was afraid if I fell asleep, the boy would disappear, and so here I was, sitting through the entire night, making sure he wouldn't vanish suddenly. Outside, the sun had begun to rose, illuminating the dark sky, replacing the moon. Another day had just passed. Remembering the past, I realized how much time had passed and so much had happened. The meeting with Cloud, our mission together as SOLDIER and the cadet, Sephiroth's sudden change and betrayal, being caught and experimented on by Hojo, running away from our pursuer, until the time I was shot and almost died, those memories seemed like a fragment of a distant past that could make me laugh.

Putting my hand on the sleeping boy's gold strands, I absent mindedly caressed his hair while my mind was rolling the video of the past. The first thing that appeared was Sephiroth. I wondered what really happened to him. He changed all of a sudden, betrayed us, and burnt down Cloud's village. Sephiroth was not one who acted like that without plausible reasons. He called Jenova his 'mother' because he had her cells in him. But then, wasn't that applied to us, Cloud and I, as well? We, SOLDIERs, are given Jenova's cells to improve our physical and mental abilities. But why, Sephiroth? Why not me? Why not Cloud?

I was too absorbed in my thinking that I had forgotten that my hand was still ruffling Cloud's hair. I even didn't realize the sleeping boy's eyes had fluttered open, revealing a pair of sky blue orbs. The boy didn't even bother to speak or notify me of his awakening. He simply fixed his eyes on me while enjoying the touch, lips involuntarily forming a small smile. When I decided to stop my thoughts, I finally realized the boy had awoken.

"Why didn't you call me?" I took my hand from his head and grinned sheepishly. The smile that adorned his face never wavered, instead it grew bigger.

"Because you looked so deep in thought," he answered, still smiling.

I was unaware he was trying to sit until I saw the frown on his face and heard a soft hiss escape his lips. I rushed immediately to the side of the bed and helped him sit. "You okay?" I asked worriedly. Seeing how much bandages needed to warp his body made me really anxious. For people like us who had high regeneration ability, wounds were nothing. Except if the wounds were vital. However, the cut in the blonde's body was far from being healed. It was like the healing ability was degrading, making him the same as a normal human.

"Zack?" the sudden call brought me back to reality. The boy tilted his head, slightly confused. "Did you hear what I said just now?"

"Huh? Oh sorry, what was it?"

"I said I'm fine. Where are the others?"

"You want to meet them?"

"Sure. It has been quite long. I missed talking to them."

"Yeah, sure you do. It was your fault for leaving us." I said playfully and the boy pouted responsively. "C'mon, I'll help you." Extending my hand for him, I waited for his slender hand to grab mine. But when none came, I frowned. "Didn't you say you want to meet them?"

"Yeah, I did, but I can walk by myself, Zack."

"No, you can't!" I said, rejecting his idea.

"Yes, I can!" he exclaimed stubbornly. He was one tough guy, but I could be tougher and he just never saw that part of me.

"No is a NO! Either I carry you there, or they come here. Choose," I said, folding my hands commandingly. For a moment, the boy obstinately glared at me which I replied with a glare of the same degree of stubbornness.

"Humph! Fine, you carry me," pouting slightly, the boy turned his head away. I noticed a small amount of pink graced his cheeks and couldn't help myself from grinning. It was always fun to tease the boy. Why was that? Any one should notice by now, every time someone teased him, he would turn red immediately. His involuntary reaction was terribly innocent and naïve. It was so cute that I would willingly lose my self control and throw myself at him.

"Why don't you choose the latter?" I asked while he put his hand behind my neck and carried him bridal-style. "If you don't want to walk, you could always ask them to come."

There was silence. I thought he was thinking so I let him and made my way to the door. I stopped just before I kicked the door open.

"I'll open it. Don't kick," he boy suddenly said, understanding the situation and concluding I would use my feet instead of by bounded hand. Using his free hand, he turned the knob and pulled the door.

"Thanks."

"I…" he started and I stopped again, throwing my gaze to his face. His head was resting on my chest. When he looked up, I noticed the closeness of our faces. I swear I could feel my face heat up. I turned my head on reflex and failed to notice a hint of guiltiness that crossed his face. "I am grateful."

To his words, I couldn't help but look back to him. This time I could see pure happiness. "And why is that?"

"…well, I have been nothing but a bother," I frowned, disagreeing, but before I could interrupt, he continued. "But you guys came to find me. I am grateful for that, and that's why I don't want to act all high and mighty and ask them to come."

"You're not a bother." Kicking the door, I closed the door again, and then stepped back and put the boy down to the floor. Kneeling so our heights were level, I stared at him hard.

"Zack, I know myself better than anyone. You don't have to…" he showed a smile, but it felt fake, sad and in despair, as if he was saying that only to convince himself that he was loved although inside he felt he was not, but since he was strong, he could bear with it. After all I had said to him, I though he understood that we, I cared for him, and now this? This boy was unbelievable!

"No, you don't!" I was furious. I was angry at him, but especially at myself. Why, how could he think like that? Like he was unwanted, unloved, ignored by the world. Why didn't he understand that all of us loved him, cared for him? I blamed myself for that. I didn't convey my feelings properly. I snapped each time he was down, making him even more depressed and reserved, even more than he previously was.

His eyes innocently inspected my eyes, trying to find answers. I was drowning in his sinless gaze. I was so confused. I didn't know how I should convey my feelings. How so he would understand that I care for him. Emptying my head, I decided to follow my heart. I pulled him closer, burying his head in my chest, protected by my arms. The love I held for him effused from the hug. The boy said nothing and the room was filled with understanding silence.

We stayed like that, unmoving, and hoping that time would stop for us. There was nothing but feelings of joy and affection shared by the hug. When I released him, his eyes shone and filled with happiness and hope, a tiny hope that his words were wrong, that he was loved. After that, everything was moving so fast and blurry. I wasn't aware I had lifted his face. I wasn't even aware I had placed my lips on his. My mind was hazy, blinded by this act of affection. The kiss continued as we exchanged our feelings through the contact, slowly and tenderly. Until finally we broke free from each other's lips, in need of air.

"Z…Zack…why…?" the question was raised in the middle of our slight panting.

"Why did I kiss you?" the younger boy nodded shyly. His face was bright red and he had to turn away to hide the blush which made me snicker. "Then, why didn't you reject me when I kissed you?"

The blush on his face deepened, reaching his ears. His answer was stammering and almost inaudible, but I could still make out his words. "That…that's because…I love you…"

Smiling fondly at the blonde boy, I placed a chaste kiss to his slightly trembling lips, earning another blush from him.

"Cloud, you love me?" Nod.

"Are you sure?" Another nod.

"Good then, cause I love you too." No more nods. Lifting his head, he stared bewilderedly, jaw dropping slightly.

"But…but Aerith…"

"I broke up with her."

"But…I thought you…"

"Loved her? Yes, I did, but it was more like a family love now. You are the only one for me, Cloud. Is it wrong to think like this?"

"No…but…"

"If _no_, then stop saying but. I love you, you love me back, and that's all I really need."

"Zack…"

"No more complaining."

"No, not complaining. I was just thinking of saying it properly…"

"Say what?"

"I love you…"

"…. I love you too…"

* * *

**Aerith's pov**

"Ya think Chocobo 'ead's awake?" A sudden question brought by Barret startled all of us. We stopped doing our own activities and silence followed after. It has been a day since Zack told us about him and Elder Kant was very kind to lend us his house. He said because he was the Chief and owner of the largest building in the village. So, we were more than grateful to take the offer as we found no place or inn to stay at. The inn was destroyed by monsters before we came.

"Should we check on him?" Yuffie answered, apparently bored.

"No, we should wait for Zack to inform us," I said. Zack told me, personally and secretly, that he wanted to be the first he saw when he woke up. So far, I was the only one who knew about his feelings for the younger boy. It was apparent that Tifa was in love with Cloud, so it would be better if Zack or Cloud told her themselves. While the other two were never suspicious, so until Zack was ready to tell them, I decided to stay quite.

"Why wait for Zack? That was his house, yes, I know. His parents were the ones who found Cloud, yes, we all know, but why should we wait for him just to visit our own friend?" The brunette asked, slightly shouting.

"Tifa, calm down," I said understandingly. Ever since Zack found Cloud in his house, the girl had been so eager to meet him, but her wish was denied as Cloud's condition was so bad. She offered to treat him, but Zack insisted. As the house was his, Tifa found no reason to deny his request. Besides, when he told us not to visit Cloud until he said so, his tone was pleading. We took that as a serious request from Zack, and quite an important one. He promised he would allow us to visit Cloud today and since it was still morning, I found no reason to be agitated. "Zack needs to finish what he has started. Give him more time, please?"

At that, Tifa sat down and sighed. I understood that she was worried. We all were. But, one thing that was clear, Tifa's interest toward Cloud was not friendship, not brother-sister relationship, but _Love_. I was feeling unsettled and I could only pray that our friendships would never waver after they knew about Zack's feelings.

* * *

**Zack's pov**

"Cloud…?" I called the boy who rested his body against me. After our reconciliation, I lifted him up again in my arms.

"Yes?" the response was a soft whisper, but both of us knew, whispers were more than enough.

"I'm sorry for snapping at you back at Fort Condor…" I said apologetically. If I hadn't done that, Cloud would never have left. Both of us wouldn't have been hurt, and neither would have everybody else. I wished I had more self-control. Mom always reminded me to think before acting, but I always failed. I had lost my mentor and friend. And now I almost lost him, the one I loved.

"No, it wasn't your fault."

"Don't. It was my fault, and don't blame yourself for my mistake."

Taking his silence as a 'yes', I walked through the front door and brought him to Elder Kant's house that was located just in front of my house. It was where our friends stayed and were most probably waiting for us. I let the boy a few soft but audible knocks on the door. I could hear the sound of hurrying footsteps and, not long after, the door was opened. Yuffie stood in front of us and aghast after seeing Cloud. Paler and thinner, and not to mention the number of bandages wrapping him, even I would be shocked.

"Earth to Yuffie," I called, jolting her back from the trance. "Move from the door so we can enter." The short haired Ninja did as I asked, albeit still slightly in shock. I thought when I told them the story yesterday, they would be prepared, but it seemed that the situation was so much worse than they would ever think.

Entering the house, I noted that some things had changed since the last time I came. The old cupboard was no more, replaced by a new, larger cupboard. The chairs stayed the same, but the number increased. On those chairs, our friends sat. When they noticed me, carrying Cloud in my arms, they only stared. Aerith was the first to overcome the shock and walked closer to us.

Placing her hand on Cloud's face, she smiled tenderly and said, "Welcome back, Cloud."

The kind words were replied with another smile from Cloud. "It's good to be back. I'm sorry for making you worry, Aerith."

Following Aerith's step, the rest of them rose from their seats and in just a second, they swarmed around us like ants to sugar. There were endless questions thrown at the boy, making him frown in confusion. He was confounded as to which one should he answered first. But, I took note of the smile spread across his face. Now he knew, everybody loved him.

* * *

The rest of the evening was spent in Elder Kant's house. The dark mood that clung around the group these past few weeks dispersed just with the blonde's existence. It was so obvious that we needed him, but the related boy didn't seem to take notice. I just didn't know how to describe this boy. He was naïve, oblivious and somehow stupid, but I guess that was why I fell for him.

The room was noisy with different sounds of laughter. They were talking, joking, laughing so happily and I decided to sit on the side, watching and listening with joy in my heart. It was like before, all of us were happy. I silently prayed that this would never change.

"Say, where's Elder Kant?" Cloud asked suddenly, earning a curious and questioning look from me. Now that he mentioned it, I didn't see my parents.

I decided to speak my mind. I asked, "Yeah. My parents are not in the house."

"Elder Kant, together with a few villagers went to check outside of the village." Tifa said flatly. Her eyes were fixed on me and for some reason, it sounded like she was angry. She was putting on a cold face, but failed miserably because I noticed the twitch and frown of anger.

I decided to ignore the angry brunette and asked again. "Why? They didn't say anything to me."

"Checkin' monster activity or some sort," Barret answered shortly. His big arms were crossed in front of the chest.

"Since the village had been attacked once, the Elder said we should be cautious," Yuffie said, continuing Barret's half-hearted answer. I flashed the girl a grin gratefully.

"Monsters?" I looked to the source of the voice and found Cloud confused. We forgot to tell him about the monsters. Well, monster encounters weren't all that rare. Maybe that was why they didn't tell him about that.

"Yeah, lately, there have been a raise in monster activities. We encountered some weird monsters too," Yuffie said.

When she said that, all of us went into deep silence and some frowned in displeasure. Strange monsters appeared out of the blue, attacked us and the village, and strong ones too. Well, strong may be an understatement. Those monsters are obviously different as in: extremely strong and fast.

"Weird monsters…what kind?" the blonde asked curiously. His expression was a mixture of interest and curiosity, albeit obvious worry too.

"Weird snake, grasshopper, troll." Barret said, deadpan. All of us just sweat dropped at his short and silly sounding answer.

"He means a snake with hands, a large mantis, and a titan," Tifa clarified, chuckling at the tanned man's answer. It seemed like the man's simplicity had made her forget to put on her angry façade. I secretly thanked the guy mentally.

"They were extremely strong and fast too," Yuffie said, continuing the explanation. "If Zack wasn't there, we'd all be dead meat!"

"The snake," Cloud said suddenly. All of us went dead silent, eyes fixed on him, curiously waiting for the next words to roll from his mouth. "Did it have red eyes, an axe-shaped tail, long claws, and red fangs?"

Barret and Aerith nodded. They were the ones to fight that monster, so they knew what it looked like. I fought it too, but decided to remain silent and wait for the boy to continue sharing whatever thoughts he had. But none came as the boy's head shot down, hand on his chin, eyebrows making a frown, seemingly deep in thought. All of us decided to wait although still giving him curious looks.

"I've seen it before," he answered finally, breaking the short silence.

"Where?" I asked, unable to hide my curiosity.

"Hojo's lab. They were kept inside Mako tubes. I guess that's why my blood is important," the last sentences were almost inaudible because when he said that, he was whispering, more to himself than us. But unfortunately, I could hear it clearly, and so did Tifa and Yuffie who sat right beside him.

"What was that about your blood?" Tifa and Yuffie asked synchronously. Again, I said nothing, but my eyes narrowed suspiciously. It seemed like the boy still held some secrets he refused to tell me.

"Oh…well…it's…" but before he finished his answer, a loud ear-piercing shriek made us jump from our seats. Without saying any more words, all of us ran to the front door. Before I did so, though, I told the wounded boy to stay still. Without making sure the boy agreed, I ran outside, and was greeted by five big monsters.

"Oh darn now they multiplied to five?!" Barret cried, desperate. I understood how he felt. In the last engagement, he couldn't finish one monster without combining their efforts together, put aside my part, and now it was five monsters, looking at us angry and hungry. Each one of us went to fight one monster while the last, smallest monster was fighting a group of villagers. I doubt they would last so I made my way to them before stopping abruptly because of the all too familiar voice.

"It's you, Fair," said a low husky voice. From where the monsters were, a man appeared. Wearing his trademark pure white coat, glasses and haughty expression, Hojo slowly walked closer to me. "…I know the boy's here. Give him back to me!" he said with a commanding voice.

"Why do you think I would give him to you, professor?" I asked with an arrogant tone while my head was tilted slightly and one hand put on my waist. I was not the type to act like I was all great or royal, but in front of this man, I couldn't help but put up the façade. His always arrogant face and tone just irked me and therefore the act. At least it was working because the man's face twisted angrily.

"Fair…you…"

"Well, well, I am surprised," another familiar voice reached my ear. Both of us, Hojo and I, turned our head up to a tree not too far beside us. On one of its branches a man was standing. His long silver hair was riding the wind. With Masamune, his prized katana in hand, he jumped down to the ground gracefully. None of us moved, perplexed. "And here I thought why our genius professor wanted to see me. Are you expecting a tearful reunion from me and Fair?" his voice sounded amused.

"Of course not, you are just a heartless fiend. I won't send you the invitation if it has nothing to do with my own research." The professor said calmly although I captured the waver in his voice.

Chuckling at the professor's word, Sephiroth walked closer, now clearly amused. "Why do you think I was going to help you with your…_research?" _the silver haired man asked. His voice was full of malice that sent shivers down my spine. I just couldn't comprehend how could he become such a cold, heartless man?

"What if I said it will help you revive Jenova?"

Eyebrow raised curiously, the ex-general laughed. "Without your help, I can and _will _revive mother."

Without waiting for a response from the professor, the silver-haired general dashed forward and thrust his katana at the professor. The long, sharp metal pierced the white-coated man in his stomach. Red liquid immediately poured down from the hole when the ex-general pulled out his katana. The stabbed man fell miserably to his knees and then to the ground. Blood gushed out endlessly from his stomach and mouth. His breath was short and erratic as he clutched his stomach and his face twisted in pain.

"Why did you come if you have no intention of taking his invitation?" I asked without looking at the silver-haired man. My eyes were still fixed on the professor. For a known reason, I didn't feel sorry for him at all.

"Heh," the older man chuckled again. "I detest that man and always wanted to kill him, given the chance. And since now he invited the chance, I gladly took it. That's all."

I said nothing to his answer. I simply stared at his back as he walked to leave.

"You….will…regret this…Sephiroth…" the ex-general stopped, head slightly turned to see the dying professor, but immediately after, he turned back and walked away, slicing two monsters in his way. The two monsters dropped to the ground, leaving only three monsters. I decided not to pursue the man since taking care of the monsters took the highest priority. Besides, I doubted I could win if I fought him, not when the others were busy, and not when Cloud was still injured.

Turning my attention back to the remaining monsters, I dashed from one place to another, trying to help them. In about ten minutes, all of the monsters dropped dead. They were strong, indeed, but after my previous fight with those three monsters, I took notice of their attack patterns and abilities. They were still using the patterns of their original form, albeit stronger, quicker, more intelligent and lethal. But those were nothing if I had adapted to the situation, which I already had.

I walked back to the dying professor. His face had turned pale, lips slightly blue and body trembling heavily. I crouched down, looking at his desperate effort to survive. All emotions were gone from my eyes as I watched the man's effort to grab my right ankle. Just when he almost reached it, I stood up, kicking the man in his face and pulled out my buster sword. The older man writhed in pain, but I didn't care. His eyes showed fear and he started begging. "Please…don't…" blood continued to gush down from the mouth. My eyes were staring at him coldly and emotionless.

"Be thankful I will end your suffering," my voice was laced with deep hatred. I took another look at his pained face before raising my sword and stabbing him in the heart.

* * *

Yeah, Sepiroth. Yeah, short, I know. There's a reason for his coming, not only because of Hojo. Maybe I will write about it, but even if I don't, I will explain it later.

Anyway...review? I will give cookies to those who press the green button below~


	22. Touch and Kisses

**Disclaimer: **I'm getting tired copy-pasting this part, which I did, cause I had to....sigh...if I owned FF7, I will make Zack loved Cloud!

**Summary: **Zack was dead, but Cloud did something to revive Zack. Story set after Crisis Core.

**WARNING!! THIS STORY CONTAINS YAOI, SHOUNEN-AI, BXB RELATIONSHIP, WHATEVER YOU CALL IT! IF YOU FEEL OFFENDED, PLEASE PUSH THE BACK BUTTON OF YOUR INTERNET BROWSER. IF YOU DO NOT MIND (hopefully) PLEASE CONTINUE TO READ! **

**Pairing:** CloudxZack, ZackxAerith, TifaxCloud (Tifa one-sided. Oh yeah, Tifa always had crush on Cloud)

**A/N:**

Thousands and millions of thanks for all who reviewed, add this story to their story/fav alert.

Again, this chapter is not beta-ed. Sorry for all the errors (both grammar and vocabulary).

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**Story 21: Touch and Kisses**

**Zack's pov**

Silently and still refused to move, I stared at the corpse that begun to grew cold. My eyes were void from all emotion, just blankly stared at the dead figure. His face was still showing the trait of fear he displayed when still alive. His eyes were dull and the white coat he always wore stained with endless pool of red coming out from the hole on his stomach. Though I didn't try to check the pulse, I was very sure his heart was no longer beating because my sword was still struck to the organ.

"What the hell, spikey?!"

I turned my head and found a horrified Barret standing not too far behind me. Pulling out the Buster Sword, I walked away without even glancing back at the corpse. "He deserved it." The tone was icy. I never even aware I was able to produce such cold tone. Without inspecting the damage sustained by the villagers, because I believed Aerith would tend to their injury, I walked back to the biggest house, Elder Kant's house. I slammed the door shut, slowly walked back to the living room while both hands were too busy to clean the mess on my face. Yes, it was Hojo's blood. Damn Sephiroth stabbed him right in front of me when the professor's back was on mine. Blood just spurted and dirtied my body, specifically my face to chest, with the red fluid.

"Zack, what happened?"

I jolted back from my thought. I was not aware that my feet had brought me to the living room where the blonde was sitting, looking worriedly at the door, waiting for any of us to come back. When he saw the amount of red that smeared my clothes, he was shocked, though I was the wounded one. I waved my hand, signing him I had no problem whatsoever and the blonde sighed in relief.

"So, what happened? I heard loud voices…was it monsters again?" the boy asked again, unsure.

Nodded curtly, I fell to the nearest chair and ruffled my hair tiredly. My eyes were closed while I enjoyed the short, blissful silent before I my eyes shot opened again. "And Hojo."

I didn't miss the short moment where the boy flinched visibly. It was to be expected. Not only one he had to face Hojo's insanity, but twice. Any normal person might have lost their minds by then. Thinking about the dead professor, a certain thing bothered me. Why did he take Cloud? Was it just because he wanted to do some experiment and needed someone to test the result? But, if that was the case, he could always use any nearby human. Why did he bother to capture only the blonde? Was it because he had experimented on Cloud before? But, in that case, he could use me. So, why Cloud?

Decided to get answer, I spoke up my mind. "Why did Hojo take you?" The question was straight forward but I didn't feel like asking useless stuff. I was kept in the dark for too long. Being blind and ignorant about everything made me angry, especially the most secrets were about the one I loved. "And…just now I heard you whispered something why he needed your blood or something…"

"I…I…well…" he stammered. His hand fiddled the tip of his cloth nervously. Between his stammering, unconsciously he bit his lower lips. It was almost sullen so I decided to stop him from doing it again.

"Stop biting your lips or it'll bleed soon enough, and don't bother making out excuses. Don't even try to lie to me. I want the truth, now, Cloud." I said sternly. The boy looked up anxiously but nodded anyway.

"Well, it's only a speculation I made so…it may not be the truth."

* * *

**Cloud's pov**

"Okay…well, do you know about the experiment he did to us a few years back?" I started.

"Something related to Jenova and Mako?" the raven answered hesitantly.

"Yes, maybe, but I wasn't so sure either. It seemed like that experiment resulted in a mutation in my blood. Or at least what I heard when he murmured to himself during time I was glued to the wall. You know as much as I do how powerful our ears are." The raven nodded, agreeing. "I heard him said about _blood mutation_, _perfect clone, _and stuff like that."

The older man was silent, thinking and analyzing every bit of the little information I gave. His hand was crossed and chin rested on his palm. His face was in a deep frown, a proof that the man was so deep in thought. "So…" he raised his head from the palm, elbows rested on his thighs. His eyes were fixed on my face, carefully reading my reaction and gesture. "What did Sephiroth have to do with any of these?"

The question took me aback. I was expecting more questions about Hojo and his experiments, or what I knew about them. Sephiroth had everything to do with all these mess that tangled me. But not that I could honestly told the ex-SOLDIER that a goddess I made contract with wanted me to kill the ex-general and his self-proclaimed mother, or that Sephiroth's so-called mother was the goddess' daughter. He would just laugh and said I hit my head. Or maybe he would believe me and then the conversation would lead to why the goddess chose me to do it and eventually it would go to the whole ritual I performed to get the man back from realm of the dead.

"Why are you asking about him?" I had a feeling I already knew the answer. For a while, before Zack came in, I could sense his presence, the presence of the silver-haired man.

"Your face has explained everything. You knew he came didn't you?" I decided not to answer. Instead, I waited for him to continue, although I couldn't prevent my heart from beating so hard and loud. I silently prayed he wouldn't hear it. "They were talking about reviving Jenova and how Hojo could help him with that. Given the previous situation a little thought, one could easily connect the dots. Hojo _could _help him revive Jenova, or whatever that was, using you, or in this case, your blood, assuming your assumption was correct. So now's the question, how and why would _your _blood helped the resurrection?"

"Honestly, Zack, I still unsure. Besides, Hojo might not be talking about me when I heard him in the lab," I answered, although my voice was slightly wavered.

What I said was part of the truth, however, there were some possible assumptions I neglected to tell him on purpose. One, I was quite sure Hojo was talking about my blood, because I hazily saw him drew and mix my blood with the monsters'. Two, the blood mutation must be about the liquid Minerva gave me. It must have caused mutation within my body and affecting my blood. As proofs, I had lost my ability to taste, my body was constantly in pain, maybe from the unwanted changes of my body cells, and also, the development of another personality inside my body might be another possible side effect although he rarely came out. Third, as I draw nearer to Nibelheim, I could feel something called and drew me nearer to the place. I assumed that must be the _Reunion_ both Sephiroth and Minerva talked about. Since I could feel the call, it was more than enough to proof that I was part of Sephiroth's plan.

I was so absorbed into my thought that I wasn't aware that a pair of azure orbs was eyeing me suspiciously. I was still in my own world when suddenly a hand grabbed my wrist and yanked me up. I stood up abruptly, losing my balance and almost tripped but another hand circled my waist and held me from falling miserably to the floor. I looked up and found out that it was Zack who pulled me and it was his hands on my waist and wrist. I looked at him confusedly but he said nothing. His face was cold as he stared emotionlessly into my eyes. I was confused, surprised, and undeniably scared. I wasn't aware that Zack could have such a cold gaze. He was always warm, always a sun for me. I just could comprehend what might have caused him to look so cold. Was it my statement that hurt him?

"Zack…did...I say something wrong?" I stammered, unable to hide my fear.

The raven haired man released his grip on my waist and dragged me by my wrist upstairs, to the second floor. I followed the man silently to one of the empty room on the second floor. His grip was firm although he tried not to hurt my wounded flesh. Reaching the room, the older man pushed me inside before he stepped in and locked the door behind me. I turned around only to find the man had stood in front of me. His face was so close that I could practically feel his hot breath as he exhaled. Unconsciously, I stepped back. My face was hot and my knees were weak. Just having him stood so close to me had made my head swirled, my heart jumped, and my stomach fluttered.

I took another step backward when the older man pushed forward a step every time I stepped back. I took yet another step before I finally reached the end of my escape route. My feet hit edge an empty bed and I fell to sit on it. I looked up and met the older man's now satisfied, albeit visibly angry face. Satisfied, because he had successfully cornered me, and angry for I didn't know what reason. I felt fear rose again, dominating my mixture of emotions as his left hand had made its way to my neck and right hand captured my left wrist. I was frozen in place, visibly shaking of fear but his expression was unchanged.

With a little push on my neck, he pinned me down to the bed and placed my captured wrist beside my head. Placing his left knee between my thighs, he lowered his body until his lips reached my left ear and then softly, but clearly, he whispered, "I told you, no more excuses, no more lies." His left thumb trailed down my neck, from my right ear to the contract mark in the middle of my neck. Rubbing the mark, he whispered again, "I said I wanted the truth, but you refused to give me."

The older man moved closer, pressing his body to mine, maybe just an attempt of preventing me from running away or moving for him, but that act made my heart beat even faster, if that was even possible. Blood rose to my face, rendering my pale skin red from embarrassment. I gasped when I felt something wet and hot as he nibbled my earlobe. Reflexively, I turned my head to the right, hoping to free my ears from the captivating mouth. Taking the chance from the movement, the raven moved from my left ear, kissing and licking as he made his way to my neck. I gasped again and this time, unable to prevent a soft moan from escaping my trembling lips. With my free hand, I closed my mouth, preventing it from letting another moan. Reaching the nape of my neck, he sucked the flesh and left the skin marred with red. I bit my lips and hand pressed down hard to prevent the sound from coming out. I successfully avoided another moan but the older man noticed the hand on my mouth and with his left hand, he moved the hand, pinning it beside my head, like what he did with my other hand.

Continuing the assault, he pushed buried his head in my neck again, shifting from my left neck to the right. He bit and sucked my tender flesh, earning soft moans I weren't able to suppress. My eyes were hazy as my brain drowned in excitement and pleasure. In my half conscious mind, I saw the man let go of my wrists. His left hand cupped my right cheek, turning my face to meet his gaze. In that instance, his lips were connected with mine. Without waiting for me to response, his tongue had made its way into my mouth, exploring the wet cave. This time, I surrendered myself in the pleasure. I moaned willingly, and the man sighed contently.

"I wasn't able to get you to tell the truth, but I can make you mine, and I will," he stated between the kisses.

Replying the kisses, I moved and tangled my tongue with his and when he drew his from my mouth, I pulled his head down, "then, make me," I whispered to his lips and placed a chaste kiss.

The kissing session started again, but this time I was participating and responding. My hands circled his neck, pulling his bigger body closer to mine. We continued kissing until Zack broke it and started to kiss my neck again, but this time, more affectionate. One of his hands slipped into my cloth, messily tried to untie the bandages, revealing half of the healing wounds. Retreating his hand from the bandages, he stood. Using his both hands to undo the buttons of my cloth and cleanly unwrapped the bandages. He stopped, looking pained at the sight. Softly, he traced multiple forcibly put lines from my chest to my torso. I shivered under the touch but I liked the feeling. I felt warm just from the small touch.

"Zack…? Cloud?" The sudden call abruptly stopped both of our movement as we sharpened our ears. The voice came from the floor below us.

"Crap, they're done. I guess we should stop here," the older man said, winking as he walk to my side and took the cloth and bandages he just ripped from my body. "But I'm still mad at you, unless you decide to tell me your secrets."

"Zack," I started. I raised my arms, letting the raven haired man do the wrapping. "It's not that I refuse to tell you. I just find it hard to put them into words."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever." He tapped my back softly as he finished re-wrapping the bandages and throw my cloth back to me. "You want me to help you with that too?" he asked teasingly.

"No, I'll manage."

When I was done dressing, he helped me stood and led me downstairs where we were greeted by our youngest and newest friend. She was sitting on one of the chairs, trying to wrap her wounded arm. Blood trickled down from the cut to her thigh. She cringed when her hand that held a clean cloth wiped the blood. I made my way to the girl, pulling her hand to my direction and inspected the wound.

"Why didn't you use your Materia?" The raven walked behind her and took a seat beside me. He searched his pocket and fished out a green ball.

"I'm running out of MP," she replied shortly.

"Then stock up your Ether!"

"I'm running out of it too!" the girl pouted.

"Geez…I can't believe you!"

"Yeah, and I can't believe you guys too!"

"What?" Zack and I asked synchronously.

"That," the girl pointed her finger at me.

"Me?" I asked confusedly.

"Yeah, check out your neck, dude!"

Still confused, I looked at Zack who snickered teasingly. Realization then hit me. I had kiss marks all over my neck! Blood rushed to my head again. My face was red, both from embarrassment and anger. Without saying a word, I left the two ravens and stormed upstairs, ignoring the throbbing body, to one of the room, not forgetting to lock the door. From a far I could hear the two talked.

"_So, you were gay?"_

"_What? I can't?"_

"_No, but those kiss marks are way too many."_

"_So?" _

"_You're cruel! Think of how he must hide those!"_

"_Well, that's…a form of punishment."_

"_If you're going to punish him, just hit him! It's easier that way."_

"_No. I wouldn't want to punch him. I love him too much for that. Besides, that was a crueler way of punishment."_

"_Seriously dude, you're evil."_

"_I know."_

"_And a pervert too!"_

"……_.shut up…this is our little secret!"_

"_Yeah, yeah, whatever you say…"

* * *

_

OMG! Okay...this scene is not supposed to be here...but I just want to write lemon even just once!!! Besides, they're hot together!!! -nosebleed-

R&R please~


	23. Resurfacing Truth

**Disclaimer: **I'm getting tired copy-pasting this part, which I did, cause I had to....sigh...if I owned FF7, I will make Zack loved Cloud!

**Summary: **Zack was dead, but Cloud did something to revive Zack. Story set after Crisis Core.

**WARNING!! THIS STORY CONTAINS YAOI, SHOUNEN-AI, BXB RELATIONSHIP, WHATEVER YOU CALL IT! IF YOU FEEL OFFENDED, PLEASE PUSH THE BACK BUTTON OF YOUR INTERNET BROWSER. IF YOU DO NOT MIND (hopefully) PLEASE CONTINUE TO READ! **

**Pairing:** CloudxZack, ZackxAerith, TifaxCloud (Tifa one-sided. Oh yeah, Tifa always had crush on Cloud)

**A/N:**

Special thanks to Tsukiri (although unrelated to the story or fanfiction stuff), because, thanks to her, I finally have my deviantart account! Finally! And thanks for teaching me stuff :)

Anyone with DA account, feel free to add me as your friend (I would love to have more friends). Here's my acc: neirayen(dot)deviantart(dot)com.

Thousands and millions of thanks for all who reviewed, add this story to their story/fav alert (yay for me for getting new reviewers!)

Again, this chapter is not beta-ed. Sorry for all the errors (both grammar and vocabulary).

* * *

**Story 22: Resurfacing Truth**

**Zack's Pov**

"Well, aren't him healing very fast?" said my mother on one fine morning. She was helping Cloud to clean the wound and change the bandages. I turned my attention from the window to the two, inspecting the said wounds. Indeed, it healed, but for some reason, I thought it healed slower than it was supposed to. The younger boy said the regeneration was slow because of malnutrition, however, now that he had been living in this village for almost a week, the wounds just started healing. It was strange. The first few days might be true if malnutrition was the problem, however, a week full we had stuffed him with whatever things edible and nutritious. Those cut were supposed to heal a few days ago. And considering our extreme healing ability, the wounds should be scars by now.

Talking about strange, I remembered every time he had to eat, Cloud was acting oddly. Every day when I brought him his lunch, he just stared at it, as if he didn't know what to do with the food. When I told him to eat he would just smile, nod, and then ate it sometimes half-heartedly, and sometimes hesitantly. It was as if the food was inedible or maybe he thought I put poison into it. Well, it was last might be a bit exaggerating, but that was the feeling I got. He was hesitant to eat. After eating, he would again stare forlornly at plate where the food once was.

The strange thing wasn't just that. He would suddenly say he wanted to rest and asked me to go out. Of course, I abide by his wish, remembering his condition that needed a lot of rest. After a few hours, I would re-enter the room and found him sleeping, or more likely, fainted, while his body bathed in sweat, face pale, and lips swollen blue, most likely because he bit it too hard. Why did he bit his own lips? Other than his habit of biting it when nervous, people would only did that when trying to suppress something from escaping their lips. Most of the times, it was cried of pain, or maybe pleasure. The latter is unlikely, so I thought it should be the former. Why would he be in pain while his wounds were healing? Obviously because he was in deep pain, but maybe not visible wounds, maybe it was internal. That was unclear, as he hid everything about him and refused to let me in despite our mutual feelings.

I couldn't stay like this forever. Ruffling my hair in deep frustration, I decided to do something else. Maybe it might help to clear my head. Walking toward the half opened door, I grabbed my sword which was rested just beside the only exit of the room, minus the window, of course.

"Where are you going, Zack?" the younger boy asked.

"The ruin," I answered curtly. "I need to investigate the place, and also clean the place. Some monsters might still live there," I continued, shrugging my shoulder nonchalantly.

"In that case, I will follow you," the blonde said, putting aside the blanket that was wrapped up to his torso.

"Don't be stupid!" my mother exclaimed angrily. Her hands was positioned on her waist, face frowned in disagreement. I could understand though. I almost said the very same thing, if not outdid by my own mother.

I stopped, standing by the door, watching Cloud fidgeted uncomfortably under the woman's scrutinizing stare. My mom was a very gentle lady, normally, but when you made her angry, not even I could do anything to help. Yes, I had received her wrath many times before. I usually ended up crying, regretting ever made her angry. She wasn't the type who gave punishment, but the angry aura she emitted…I couldn't explain it well. Just said it made you obeyed whatever command she was giving and made you regret ever disobeyed her. That was exactly what the boy felt right now, uneasiness. Well, he would learn, sooner or later, never tried to disobey her. Well, other than her almost godly aura, she was just a normal mother. She could also melt if you gave her puppy face, which I learnt over times. Yes, that's where my puppy act came from.

"Mom's right, Cloud, I can't allow you to go with your current condition," I said, agreeing my mother's objection. The woman nodded although still frowning.

"I know my own body," the boy said hesitantly, but nevertheless, continued. "Besides, I have every right to know what Hojo did with me."

I stared at the boy, slightly taken aback by his statement. It was true that he had the right to know but in that condition, I doubted he could defend himself if more monsters were to appear. But again, who didn't know about the boy's almost unrivaled stubbornness?

Sighing, I raised by hands in defeat. "Fine, you can go. Even if I told you don't, you'll never obey me, won't you?" the boy grinned gratefully and nodded.

I turned to face my frowning mother's incoming wrath, but instead of scolding, she sighed tiredly. Her old face was adorned with sadness but understanding. I flashed her grateful smile when she just nodded, allowing the blonde to go.

"Don't worry," I rubbed the woman's back softly. "I promise I will protect him."

"I know you will, dear. But promise me another thing," at that she stopped, seemingly thinking. "Promise me you will come back here again." Her face was worried and sad when she said that. I felt guilty, thinking about how I had made my parents worried and in grief during these past years.

"Mom…" I whispered, then pulled my mother in to my arms, hugged her gently. "I will. I promise." The older woman nodded slowly and then replied my gesture. Her hands circled my waist and face buried in my chest.

From the corner of my eyes, I observed the boy. At first, he was just staring and evidently smiling, but that was almost immediately changed to longing look and sad smile. His blue eyes were glassy from tears that threatened to fall anytime. Finally, he couldn't stand watching us anymore and turned his face to the window. Briefly, I saw glisters of water dropped down to his cheek. When I realized he was crying, I released my hug unconsciously. My mother, noticing my sudden but involuntary move, traced my line of sight and found the boy shaking lightly in effort to hold down the tears.  
I stood unmoving in my place when my mother released herself from me and walked closer to the blonde boy. Mom understood people's heart, just like Aerith. Maybe that was what made me attracted to the girl.

When the woman had stood in front of the boy, she extended her hands, waiting patiently. The boy, who noticed the hands, stared questioningly at the woman.

"Come, Cloud," she said and after that, the boy's eyes grew big in surprise, but I didn't miss the glint of happiness in his eyes. Gently, he threw his head into the older woman's protective arm. Tears never failed to fall but no sound escaped his mouth. My mother, understandingly stroke the back of his head. "You, too, are my son."

"Thank you…" the boy whispered and released himself from the woman. His eyes were red from crying, but there was no more sad smile as it was replaced by content and grateful grin.

Slowly and silently, I took my Buster sword and left the two. Unknown to me, a happy grin was pasted in my face the whole time I made my way to Elder Kant's house.

* * *

"This place stinks!" a short-haired Ninja exclaimed. Her hand had made way to her nose and pinching it, preventing unwanted smell from entering her respiratory system.  
I chuckled at her reaction, but never stopped my step. "It's not that bad. I hate the dust even more than the smell," I responded.  
The ruin had never been used since long and no one ever entered the place until Hojo came. I never knew that this place was Hojo's secret lab in disguise of a Mako reactor even though I used to play here when I was a child.

"Branch, which way?" Tifa asked with annoyed or maybe slightly irritated tone. The brunette had been emitting hostile aura against me for a reason I never wanted to know. Okay, maybe I knew the reason, but I didn't want to think about that. Woman's jealousy is dangerous.

"Left. Definitely," Yuffie answered confidently.

Barret, who has been silent since we entered the ruin, finally decided to ask, "How can you be so sure?"

"Woman's intuition!" come another over-confident answer.

"..." the tanned man only sighed and shook his head desperately, and Yuffie would explode and said something about 'not a good friend' or 'her intuition always correct' and et cetera.  
Honestly, the moment the two started to open their mouth, only rubbish would come out. And in the end, they would bicker nonstop until someone or something came to shut their yapping. Right now, I was hoping a monster would jump in the middle of their pointless fight. That would be entertaining to watch.

"Which way, Cloud?" this time, it was Aerith, but the question made all of us turned to the blonde. Even the two bickering idiots stopped to listen.

"Right, I think…" was the blonde's hesitant answer. Nevertheless, we followed his instruction, leaving Yuffie and Barret to continue their verbal fight, until we reached the end of the corridor and entered a room.

The place was quite spacious, with some broken tubes, pile of rubbles, broken furniture, and of course, Hojo's experiment equipments, along with the papers stacked on the highest shelf. Ignoring all the unimportant stuff, I made my way to the paper and began to scan the content while the others spread to all directions and began their search.

* * *

**_Project M experiment result_**

**_M-blood 01_**

**_The structure of blood was almost similar to SOLDIER's, but with ten or maybe hundred more Jenova cells. If were to be injected to normal human, would produce something similar to a SOLDIER born from Jenova cell. However, 01 is still unstable and may cause the injected lost their mind._**

**_Subject A (injected with 01)_**  
**_After injection, the condition had turned unstable. From blood test, it was concluded that the M-blood cell that had been injected has caused mutation. Subject A was unable to adapt and would be released for further experiment._**

**_Subject B (injected with 01)_**  
**_Similar result to Subject A, although the process of mutation was faster._**

**_M-blood 02_**  
**_After filtration of 01, silver, sand-like substance was found. It was to be concluded that the substance, namely, M-Cell, was responsible for the mutation of previous experiments. Also, after further examination, subject experiment 0 had undergone almost perfect blood mutation._**

**_Subject F (injected with 02)_**  
**_A first success experiment. Subject can retain their mind, while gaining more power. However, after 72 hours, subject went berserk and losing its mind._**

**_Subject H (injected with 02)_**  
**_Similar to subject experiment F, subject H also lost its mind, although within shorter period of time. The conclusion from this experiment is that M-blood can evolve very fast, even too fast for monsters. Next experiment will be tested on human.

* * *

_**

"What the hell…"

I was unable to hide my shock. M-blood… That must be Cloud's. And his blood had something that could cause mutation? No, it was more reasonable if Cloud's blood too, was mutated. Then that would explain his slow regeneration and constant pain. He never told me he was in pain, but after seeing what happened this whole week, the constant fainting, sweating and swollen lips, even Yuffie would know.

Secretly, I pocketed the papers. No one should know about this. Besides, this paper could be used when I wanted to confront Cloud. With this clue, the boy had no reason to say 'nothing' anymore.  
"Hey," I called the others who were quite busy checking the tubes. "Anything there?"

"Nope, just rubbish," Barret answered, throwing an empty glass to the floor. "You?"

"None," I lied and made my way back to the entrance. "Think we should stop here?"

"Yeah!! I'm tired and hungry!" the youngest responded. The others just nodded respectively and made their way to the entrance.

"Wait, Ancient girl," called a deep, husky voice I had never heard of. Out of instinct – or habit, I immediately drew my Buster Sword and pulled Aerith behind me. I looked up to the ceiling, where the voice came from, and found a red, rather weird animal. I never saw animal like that, and never heard of a speaking animal. It could be one of Hojo's experiments and anything related to Hojo meant disaster.

Eyeing the beast suspiciously, I slowly took a step behind while the others retreated slowly, leaving only Cloud beside and Aerith behind me. "Three of you, make sure this guy here has no friend, and clean the way back. We'll handle this one." I said in rather ordering tone, but none of them complaint. After giving confirmation nod, the three left.

"I only need to talk with the girl," the beast said. Gracefully, it jumped down and landed with a soft thud in front of us. Immediately, I raised my sword defensively.

"Worry not, I mean no harm. I have message for the girl," the beast said again.

"From who?"

"The Great Mother."

"Really? Well then, Zack, Cloud, please, leave us alone for a while."

"But Aerith…" I complaint, but before I could finish it, the girl placed her finger on my lips and smiled reassuringly. "Fine…just…be careful." And I took another step back to the entrance, followed by the blonde.

"Wait, boy," the beast called again. "Thank you for releasing me."

"You're welcome, but why didn't you escape?" the blonde asked, slightly puzzled, but interested.

"I did, but I have to deliver the message. And with my appearance, people of Gongaga may mistake me for a monster. That's why I waited here. I know you will come back."

"I see…you're a strange one…" the blonde chuckled. "I'll be outside, c'mon, Zack."

And then, I left the room, dragged in one hand by the boy. For one last time, I turned back, glancing worriedly at Aerith, but the girl only smiled and waved her hand. After that, I could only heard soft voices until nothing except our footsteps were heard.

"…Minerva told me…"

"I see…there is still hope…"

"…he is a brave one…"

"Yeah, I know…"

* * *

Waiting was never fun, especially when the wait only ended with bad news. I paced back and forth, unable to hide my worry. It hadn't been half an hour since Cloud and I rejoined the other three. During the wait, my mind constantly wandered from worrying Aerith to Cloud. I left Aerith alone with Hojo's beast, although he – or it – seemed different from other monsters, but still, the red beast was still suspicious. While worrying for the auburn girl, I was still worrying about the youngest boy. He was just recovered, and evidently tired, because he was sweating a lot and slightly pale. Right now the blonde boy just sat tiredly, head hid behind his knee and back rested on a large rock.

"Are you okay?" I asked, putting my hand on his head and ruffling his hair softly. The boy sighed softly and lifted his head. "You're not okay," I said, answering my own question.

"I'm just tired," the blonde sighed again.

"I told you not to come." I said with I-told-you-so tone.

"Drop it, I didn't regret this," the boy pouted. I only laughed and sit beside the boy. Softly, as soft as so the other didn't hear, but enough for the boy only to heard, I began to speak, "I got Hojo's experiment papers." I didn't miss the flinch from the boy, but I decided to ignore it and continued. "Everything about your blood was written there."

"What…what about my blood?" the blonde stammered. Fear was evident in his voice.

"Everything. The mutation and also the effect," I stopped, waiting for any response, but none came. "You have been fainting a lot, haven't you?" the blonde refused to answer again, but I ignored it again. "Your body isn't regenerating like it how it should be. Aren't these enough evident? Just tell me the truth, Cloud," my tone was ordering, and clearly, I wouldn't take a 'no' as an answer.

"…not now, please…" he pleaded, slightly desperate. I felt sorry for forcing him, but this was something he should have told me earlier.

"Then, when will it be? You always like this, never shared you pain and slowly drowned yourself in your own darkness. Am I not trustworthy enough for you?"

"…no Zack, I didn't mean it like that! I will tell you. I promise. You have found so much by yourself, there's no use to hide the truth any longer. I will tell you, but not now. Not when everybody is here." The last statement was a stressed out, but I understood.

"Fine. When we reached the village, you must talk."

"Yes, I promise. But…"

"…just don't tell me you can't tell me some part because I want the complete story."

"No, I will. But, after I told you, please don't hate me."

"Why would I hate you?" I turned my head to face the boy, clearly curious, although said boy never once turned his head. He just looked at ground, staring at nothing.

"…because I did something I know you will never approve. And…I'm afraid you may hate me for that."

"Is that the reason for the whole secrecy thingy? You refuse to tell me because you were afraid of THAT?"

"…that is reason enough for me, Zack."

"…okay, fine. Let's not talk about this one. I appreciate your feeling, but know this, Cloud. I will never, ever hate you, no matter what you've done."

"I doubt it but I'll hold you to your words."

"I'm a man of my own words."

"Yeah…I know…"

The last statement was said with a slight smile on the boy's face, although unfortunately, I missed it because Aerith had come out from the ruin with the red beast. I immediately made my way to her and the blonde, sat there a while, thinking, before finally rose to his feet and joined us.

* * *

Okay...so, that will be the last of Cloud's holiday cause the chapter after this will be tortures...again...I don't know whether next chapter will be torture or not, but...there will be more CloudxZack (no scene for adult though lol)

Oh, and, anyone willing to become my beta, please PM me. My beta (TsumeLover666) is having difficulty to balance her life as a student and a beta for me. So, last chapter onward, there will be tons of grammar , please bear with it since the story is almost end, maybe in less than 10 chapters...if possible...

I think that's all...so, review, okay!! Oh, and, since this is not beta-ed, there might be mistakes, so feel free to tell me. Thanks.


	24. Blank

**Disclaimer: **Square-Enix has the copyright for all characters and settings, and I poor little me only have this story's plot! Any resemblance to any other stories in this universe is merely coincidence.

**WARNING!! THIS STORY CONTAINS YAOI, SHOUNEN-AI, AND BXB RELATIONSHIP, WHATEVER YOU CALL IT! IF YOU FEEL OFFENDED, PLEASE PUSH THE BACK BUTTON OF YOUR INTERNET BROWSER. IF YOU DO NOT MIND (hopefully) PLEASE CONTINUE TO READ! **

**Pairing:** CloudxZack, ZackxAerith, TifaxCloud (Tifa one-sided. Oh yeah, Tifa always had crush on Cloud)

**A/N: **

I think I need to make proper announcement, though it affected (and involved) mostly (or maybe 'only') me. TsumeLover666 can't be my beta anymore due to school and life problems, so, sadly, I have to release her from beta-ing my story.

Then, I have a new beta, namely Neko Ninja Hezza!!! Well, through this announcement I would like to thank her for her willingness to take the job.

Lastly, I would like to thank everyone for supporting me so far although I'm easily bored and tend to drop stories! But I will never drop it as long as I know that there are people waiting and reading my story!! I know it sounds like I indirectly force the reader to drop review, but I honestly relieved and happy when there are reviews. After all, what's the point of writing if no one's expecting it...right?

Again, I'm so sorry for being late. I was moving out from old house & job. Plus with new stuff to buy & arrange, and then I needed time to adapt...the total is like...a month or so? Sooo sorryyyy -deep bow-

And so, I was feeling blue when writing this, so please pardon the angsty-ness

**EDITED**: SeireiNightlord05 pointed out I make mistakes in Red's name. It's supposed to be Nanaki and I write it Nanase. My fault. Sorry. And fixed! Candies to SeireiNightlord05

* * *

**Story 23:Blank **

**Zack's POV**

"Aerith!" I run toward the girl as I saw her came out from the ruin. The girl gave a small wave and grin. "You alright?" I asked while checking for any physical damage. When I found none, I sighed in relief.

"Calm down, Nanaki isn't going to hurt me, right, Nanaki?" The Ancient girl turned around.

From the entrance of the ruin, a red lion-like beast came out, walking gracefully as it evaded the piles of rubble. "You can call me Red XIII, if you want to," The beast said. It was sitting non-nonchalantly beside the auburn haired girl.

"No way, your real name is Nanaki, so, I will call you that! Besides, Red XIII is hard to spell," The Ancient girl replied casually.

Aerith had always been better than me when it came to befriending people, but the extent of her social skills simply amazes me. Who would have thought '_that'_ creature was going to be so overly-friendly with her. Correction, Aerith was being over-friendly with '_that_' and '_that'_ didn't mind her intrusion. I could only shook my head as the beast called 'Nanaki', according to Aerith, or 'Red XIII', according to the owner of the name, replied the last Ancient's question.

"...your choice," Nanaki's tone was low and kind of like a 30 or 40 years old man's voice. I wondered how old is...'he'? Nanaki should be a 'he' since his voice was heavy.

"Okay...Nanaki; I'm Zack, nice to meet'cha."

"I have known all of you. Besides, I needed to go back now or grandpa will start worrying," the red beast walked away coolly, leaving us staring wonder at him.

"What did Nanaki want with you?" I purposely walked slower and asked the auburn haired girl on our way back to the village. I had a feeling they were talking something important and definitely didn't want the others to know.

After Nanaki left, some of us, excluding me and Cloud, tried to get anything out from the Ancient girl, but, so far, none succeeded. Asking her for answer was like testing your luck. Her lips were sealed, tight. I just hope she wouldn't threw me the 'do-not-bother-to-ask' smile cause that was what made the others fell silent and refrained from asking.

"Hmm...Just stuff," she shrugged non-nonchalantly.

Following her from the corner of my eyes, I just realized, the girl wasn't simply evading the question or refusing to answer. She seemed to be deeply thinking. Possibly, she didn't want the others to ask because she, herself, wasn't sure of the answer. She hadn't understood everything yet and considering her personality, she didn't want her lack of understanding caused misunderstanding in the future.

"What are you thinking?" I decided to voice my thought.

The benevolent girl didn't turn to look at me immediately. Instead, she looked forward and made sure everyone else didn't aware of our conversation. I did the same. When I was sure, it was safe to talk again; I turned slightly and met her gaze. Her jade eyes held the most alien expression ever since I knew her.

We were staring at each other for a few seconds and in that moments, we stopped walking. No one seemed to notice us.

"How much do you know about Cloud, Zack?" She turned her head elegantly and continued walking. Following her, I found myself walking slowly beside her again.

"Not much. He refused to tell me anything," I sighed. "But, he promised to tell me after this."

The girl stopped again, but this time instead of turning her head, she just stared at her feet, hand raised to her chin. Again, she fell into deep thought. "What did you find in that lab?" This time, her eyes were fixed strongly at me. "I'll tell you what Nanaki told me if you show me those papers you took," Mischievous grin had replaced the serious look she previously had. I couldn't help myself but chuckle at her quick transformation. She was simply amazing.

"Deal." I took out the crumpled papers hidden in my pocket and handed them to her.

The papers were even more crumpled than before. Some of the writing was illegible, but overall, it wasn't that hard to read and understand what was written down. The last Ancient quickly scanned through the papers without properly reading it, and when she reached the last paper, she looked at me for confirmation. I immediately caught what she wanted to ask, so I just nodded my head. With my agreement, she folded the papers neatly and placed them inside her pocket.

"Thanks. About my deal," She started walking again. "We talked about Cloud, of course."

"...Elaboration, please?"

"Em...well, honestly, I can't tell you much if Cloud hasn't told you anything yet," the Ancient sighed. "But, you can ask me again after that, and I promise I will spill everything."

Nodding absentmindedly, we continued to walk, slow, but faster than before. We were falling quite far from the others, but currently, none of that matters. Both of us were so immersed in our own world of tangled strings. I was thinking so hard to entangle our strings of problems, yet, no solution was found. I got a feeling that this mess would get very ugly soon.

Putting all the available facts weren't all that difficult. The pieces had been arranged, but so many missing pieces had caused this whole mess. First of all, why has all of this happened? Thinking back about the past, maybe it started because of me. I was weak. I couldn't protect myself, let alone others. Yet, I forced myself to protect the one I held precious in my heart. It was worth the sacrifice, of course, but that feeling was selfish. I was thinking in my own point of view. I did that for my own satisfaction. I said I was happy to be able to protect him, but I didn't care about his feelings. I saw him crying before my consciousness fade, I noted the grief in those blue orbs. I regretted ever making him sad, yet, at the same time, I was happy. I knew he cared for me, that was why he cried and that also why I felt warm. Selfish, I know, but if I didn't follow my selfishness at that time, what would become of us? The boy would survive, maybe bearing guilt throughout his life because that was how he was. Reality was cruel. I didn't die. I knew survival was thin at that time, so I wasn't hoping much, but then, how in the world did I survive?

Putting two and two together wasn't all that hard. The answer to the question was 'Cloud'. I didn't know how, I just knew. Whatever he did, that brought me back from hell. Consequences followed definitely. The price for a life is another life. This world wasn't fair, but the law of equivalent trade applied whenever you wish for something. My life was exchanged with his. That was all I could think of. Everything was for me.

"I wonder how his life is being without me." I mused aloud.

"Cloud?"

"Yeah."

"Living hell, I guess."

At that moment, with that answer, I fully understood. He chose to let me live in exchange of his life. We were thinking the same thing all along. I wouldn't want to live without him, so I allow myself to be claimed by death, and he did the same. Rather than living without me, he'd rather die. Though, that wish went awry because not only he didn't die; now he had to endure torture.

Was it wrong for me to do everything to release him from his pain? It was selfish, yes, but it wasn't wrong. I wasn't wrong. I only need to find a way to free him from all his pain.

"Did Nanaki say anything about how to save Cloud?" I asked all too suddenly, surprising the Ancient.

She was silent, but I could see she was considering my question, musing, whether it was okay to answer. I waited patiently until she nodded doubtfully. "Yes, he did say something about that, but I'm still not sure whether it can be done. That's why, please, give me time to think," she pleaded. Of course, I didn't hesitant to give the nod. After all, Aerith would think of something so that everybody could live happily.

After that, we walked silently to Gongaga. Night approached faster than I noticed. I decided not to confront Cloud today since we were all so tired today. So we all, in silent agreement, went to rest. I nervously waited for the morning to come. Indeed, it came, but for the younger blonde, morning never came again. He went to sleep and never awoke and then, a week passed uneventfully.

* * *

**Cloud's POV**

It was evening when I awoke. Evening sun was burning and the light glowed red, mixed with orange. Eerie, yet beautiful, that was my thought when I looked at the fiery sun setting from beyond wall of trees. When I woke up, I just stared blankly at the ceiling, not knowing what to think. My mind was just blank, void from emotion and thought. But then, I saw the reddish light passed through the thin curtain of the window. Following my feet, I found myself mesmerized by the red. I felt curiosity, but mostly, ecstatic. The color reminded me of blood, and that made my body trembled with excitement. I felt like I needed to see blood. The thirst was so unbearable that I instinctively gripped my wrist. Fingers dug deep into tender flesh as nails easily cut and made the blood flowed. 'Adrenaline rush', perfect statement to illustrate my feeling. The pain gave me pleasure and I carved for more. I carved for more blood. When a drop of the red liquid dropped on my thigh, I felt as if my eyes had turned red. The droplet looked so beautiful on the white flesh. I wanted to tear the flesh, then maybe more blood would flow.

"Cloud?" A soft voice called from behind me. I heard the voice, but for some reason, I just felt like ignoring whoever calling me.

I stared intensively at the droplet of blood dripping slowly from my wrist to my thigh. I just didn't know what went on my head. I was fully aware that I was doing something extremely bad, but the feeling of strong curiosity got the best of me, and so, I began scratching my thigh. Blood began to wet, first the flesh and then the fabric. I felt pain and pleasure at the same time and I just couldn't get enough of those. I wanted more pain. Like a man who just lost his mind, I continuously scratched the flesh, and each time, I dug deeper and deeper. I laughed, hard.

"Cloud? Stop it!!" The person shrieked in horror. Blood had made its way to the floor. The sound of the dripping liquid was loud in my ears, like there was several drum played at the same time beside my ears. It was painful for my ears. It was hurting my head.

"Make it stop!! Make the sound stop!!!" I screamed. I stopped scratching and covered my ears. The red that smeared my fingers now painted my face. I didn't care for that. The sound grew louder and louder. My head felt like being split opened with a big axe.

I was sitting when I hurt myself, so when the sound grew unbearable; I instinctively drew my knees to my chest. I buried my head in my knees, arms raised protectively around my head. It worked. The sound stopped. I raised my head timidly, unsure whether the sound had really stopped.

"Cloud? Are you okay?" said the person again, but this time softly and worriedly.

I looked up the person, noting familiar wavy brown hair that fell beside the face. She had a soft expression, tainted by frown of worried, but the beauty was intact. She was so familiar. I knew her but the memory just slipped away.

I stared blankly at the girl. My brain was forced to think, but nothing came. I felt blank and void.

"Aerith...?" I whispered dryly. 'Aerith', that name rings a bell. I knew that name. I knew the girl with that name, but I didn't know who she exactly was. What was her relationship with me? Deciding to ask, I opened my mouth, but immediately closed it again. What was I about to ask?

Right in that moment, a knock pulled my attention. I turned toward the door to find a man, big, tanned man walked to our direction. His face was scary and tired, but he looked kind enough. I stared at him in wonder. Why did he look so tired? Why did he look so cautious? Did something happen? I didn't care. I was tired. So, very tired. I needed sleep. Hopefully, the sound wouldn't come back.

Slowly, I drifted back to sleep, but I had a dream. In there, I saw the girl and tanned man, waving at me. Then behind the two of them, another man with jet black hair extended his hand to me. His mouth was moving, as if he was talking to me. I read the lips and it was true, after all. The man WAS talking to me. 'Come here, Spike' he said. But who was Spike? My name is not Spike. No, wait, who am I?

* * *

The second part doesn't make any sense, does it? Don't worry though, it'll all be explained in the next chappie. Anyway...

I am so, so screwed...I just re-read my first outline (draft) and I've drifted a bit too far from the main-intended-storyline -sobs- and worse, I've gotten writer's block again...this chapter is short (and kinda off, I guess), but I just dunno what to write...and my head is so full of 'server', 'query', 'sql', blah blah blah...so please, just forgive me this time. I need a break for a while...I'm seriously stuck. I appreciate opinion/advice/critique/etc, but please don't flame...

Thanks.


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